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Iraq has completed a design study for a multi-billion-dollar rail line that will link its Southern part with neighbouring Turkey and Europe, the Iraqi Transport Ministry has said.
The 1,175-km rail project involves a dual line for electric high-speed freight and passenger trains that will cut across most of Iraq, the Ministry said in a report published by the official Iraqi news agency on Sunday.
The project also includes a passenger train to nearby Iran and will link Iraq to both countries through its Faw Port, which is under construction and is designed to be one of the world’s largest container terminals with a capacity of 99 million tonnes per year.
“This rail project will allow Iraq to be linked to Turkey, Iran and Europe….the Ministry is currently studying the prepared designs for the project, which will be one of the most important rail projects in the region,” the report said.
Iraqi officials have said a feasibility study for the rail project would be prepared by the Italian engineering services company PEG and that it could be awarded to France’s transport giant Alstom Company, which is involved in plans to build Baghdad’s first metro.
Read more: Iraq to start project for rail link with Turkey in early 2024
(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)
