The audacious plan to unite the Middle East by rail
Discover the story of the Hejaz Railway, and plans to reconnect the Middle East's cross border railway since the fall of Assad's regime in Syria.
The Hejaz Railway was an audacious feat of Ottoman engineering. This ambitious project was designed to connect Istanbul—then Constantinople—to the holy city of Mecca, drastically cutting the journey time down from weeks, to just a few days.
Construction began in the early 1900s, but the railway was never fully completed. The First World War and the subsequent collapse of the Ottoman Empire put paid to this cross-continent plan.
Large sections, connecting Damascus to Medina via Amman were built, and remnants of this historic transport route still stretch across the Middle East today. With the war in Syria now largely over, there are now hopes that the line from Amman could be reconnected to Damascus.
During my trip to Jordan, I set out to explore the remains of this grand railway, following its tracks from Amman to the deserts of southern Jordan.
Amman’s Hejaz Railway Station
My first stop was the Hejaz Railway Station in Amman, Jordan. Located on the outskirts of the capital, until as recently as 2014, when the Syrian Civil War broke out, you can hop on a train here and be in Damascus a few hours later.
Walking through the station felt like stepping into the Ottoman past. The rusting trains still bore echoes of their early 20th-century heyday, with many refurbished carriages dating back to the railway’s original construction at the turn of the 20th century. A small museum inside housed relics from the railway’s operation, including old tickets that once allowed passengers to travel all the way to Medina. The station’s caretaker even handed me one as a souvenir to take home.
At the station, I met Abdullah, the station master, who offered a concise history lesson:
“They started building this railway in 1900, and by 1908, the first train ran from Damascus to Medina. Before that, it would take three months to travel by camel, but with the train, the journey took just three days.”
Though the Amman station no longer operates as an international hub, local train trips still run on weekends. When asked about the future, Abdullah was hopeful:
“Very soon, we might be able to take the train from here to Damascus again,” he said with an optimistic grin.
Tracing the Tracks South: Al Qatrana and Ma’an
From Amman, I followed the railway’s route south by car, making my way to Al Qatrana, a dusty station that had played a crucial role in the railway’s operations. Today, the tracks lie largely abandoned on the side of the Desert Highway connecting Amman to Aqaba.
I met a local security guard, Bilal, who enthusiastically confirmed the site’s Ottoman origins. “This is all Turkish, from the old Ottoman empire,” he said of the rusting rail carriages coated in dust.
Further down the railway line, in Ma’an, I came across an entirely restored station, complete with a pristinely preserved steam locomotive. Ma’an played a significant role in the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, when Arab forces—supported by the British—fought to expel the Ottomans from the region. A memorial plaque commemorates the fighters from across the Arab world who took part in the battle for the station.
Walking through the freshly renovated station, it was evident that Jordan was attempting to preserve this crucial part of its history.
Wadi Rum: The Arab Revolt and the Hejaz Railway Experience
Following the railway’s route further south, I drove deep into Wadi Rum, an otherworldly desert landscape made famous by Lawrence of Arabia. This was where T.E. Lawrence and Arab forces launched raids on the railway, disrupting Ottoman supply lines.
A highlight of the journey was the chance to ride a restored Ottoman-era train, an experience that reenacts a classic battle from the Arab Revolt. As I boarded the train, the atmosphere was electric—soldiers in Ottoman uniforms patrolled the carriages, while others prepared for an impending attack.
Soon, the sound of gunfire echoed across the desert. Riders on horseback emerged from the dunes, storming the train as part of a dramatic reenactment. The performance was surreal, but I highly recommend the experience, purely for the chance to ride a restored section of the Hejaz Railway.
The Future of the Hejaz Railway
Today, much of the Hejaz Railway’s original route remains intact. The tracks still exist, the stations stand, and in some places, freight trains continue to run. But there are no passenger services linking the Middle East as they once did.
Reflecting on the journey, it’s hard not to imagine what could be. The infrastructure is there. If political will and regional cooperation align, it could once again be possible to travel from Istanbul to Amman, and perhaps even to Medina, entirely by train. As Abdullah had optimistically put it in Amman:
“The first plan was to connect Berlin to Istanbul, then Damascus, and finally Medina. Maybe one day, it will happen again.”
For now, the railway stands as a relic of what was, but also a reminder of what could be. In a region too often divided by conflict, reconnecting the Hejaz Railway could serve not just as a practical transport link, but as a symbol of unity across borders that, a century ago, did not exist.
You can watch my journey along Jordan’s Hejaz Railway on my new YouTube Channel:
Borders in World News
Here’s the weekly roundup of borders in world news:
North Korea's borders are closed again!
The Hermit Nation briefly reopened its borders in February. What was hoped would be a return to tourism as it was before Covid-19, has quickly resulted in a sharp U-turn.
For reasons unclear (this is North Korea, after all) the country has stopped all tours to Rason, the Special Economic Zone in the northeast that had tentatively opened to Westerners.
Reports from travellers on the first trip to Rason show how the borders were closed while they were in the country. It’s unclear when the DPRK will resume tours.
The PKK calls for a ceasefire
‘Kurdistan’ sprawls across Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey, but the Kurds are the largest ethnic group without a sovereign state to call home. For decades, the PKK has actively sought to establish a nation-state in the Kurdish heartlands of Turkey.
It’s an area I’ve visited many times, but large parts of this region have long been subject to restrictions and conflict. The BBC report that the PKK has agreed to a ceasefire, however, raising hopes for a lasting peace.
Tour of the Week
Last year I travelled to Federal Iraq and became good friends with Tommy Driskill, an American YouTuber based in the Philippines. Better known as the ‘Dude Abroad’, Tommy’s just started organising group to trips to some pretty wild destinations.
He’s got a tour to Iraq scheduled for the end of March (last-minute spots available), and trips later this year to the mountains of Pakistan and the serene beaches of Socotra (Yemen).
I know Tommy personally, and can vouch that his trips will be incredible!
Find out more:
Where am I now?
When this newsletter is published, I’ll have just arrived in the Basque Country. I’m taking an epic overland (and sea) journey from the UK to Spain, braving the 36-hour-long ferry from Portsmouth.
I’ll arrive in Santander, then hop on a train to Bilbao. From here, I’ll be exploring Europe’s oldest ‘country’ (if unrecognised, the Basques are fiercely independent!), visiting a few quirky geopolitical oddities on the Franco-Spanish border before heading south.
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