Iraq: Designs ready to build rail, road network to Turkiye

Director General of the Public Company for Rail in Iraq, Younus Khalid, announced on Tuesday the competition of designs for building a rail and road network with Turkiye.

The project, which will link south Iraq with Turkiye, could cost nearly $17 billion, Khalid said.

On 21 March, Iraq and Turkiye agreed on a number of economic deals, including the rail and road network.

The network will start from Faw Port, which is under construction in south Iraq, and will pass through ten Iraqi governorates, Khalid said. It will involved electric high speed trains for freight and passengers and is expected to cost around $10.5 billion while the 1,200 kilometre (725 mile) motorway will cost $6.5 billion.

“This is a giant and strategic project, the largest in Iraq and one of the largest projects of its kind in the region…It will complement the Faw Port project and will turn Iraq into a major logistics hub,” he added.

The project is expected to  be completed in 2028 and will largely boost Iraq’s trade with Europe via Turkiye, Khalid said.

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