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I have a train to catch!
Venture Magazine
1 October 2008
Jordan should think seriously about rail as a strategic solution to our congested roads and highways.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Hejaz railway, commissioned by the Ottoman sultan to connect Constantinople with the holy city of Medina, by way of Damascus. The 1300 kilometer track runs through modern-day Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. It also connects Damascus with Haifa in Palestine. When it was finished in 1908 it was a great feat of engineering, fit of an empire that stretched from the Balkans to Iraq and from North Africa to Yemen.
In its heyday the Hejaz railway line was part of the celebrated Orient Express which connected Europe with the Middle East and beyond. In the old days, as much as today, roads and tracks underscored the power of the state and in effect its unity.
Rebellions, wars and political divisions destroyed much of the Hejaz railway, leaving only small parts in use. In Jordan, the line is used occasionally to carry passengers and goods between Amman and Damascus. It has no real value in its current state. But its potential remains huge.
There have been many plans in the past to rebuild the line to accommodate modern trains, by switching from narrow to wide gauge, and bring it in as a cost-effective and reliable mode of transportation both within the country and across national borders. None of them ever saw the light of day.
Costs, legal issues (the railway is a Waqf) and political uncertainties derailed such plans. Apart from its historical significance, the Hejaz line represents missed opportunities. As much as transportation has developed across the world, rail remains a potent alternative to other modes. Europe is a vivid example where trains connect the cities and towns of that old continent together. It is a safe and fast mode of transportation. And in these days of energy shortage, it has proved to be an economic substitute to cars and planes.
That is why we in Jordan should think seriously about rail as a strategic solution to our congested roads and highways. The Zarqa-Amman light train commuter project has been an off and on project since the 1980s. Today it is yet to get the green light. But it is an important project that promises to save money, time, resources and even lives.
Infrastructural work is costly, but it should pay for itself over the years and in the process change our perception, and appreciation, of public transport. The same goes for connecting other cities to the capital by train.
And as our capital expands to include new towns, planners should take into consideration the possibility of building regional and suburban tram lines to ease pressure on our road networks. Commuting from the new suburbs near and around the international airport to the heart of the city should take place by fast trains rather than by cars and small buses.
And as city planners think of projects to revive downtown, how about doing away with cars altogether and hopping on the electric tram that would run frequent services from Abdali, Jabal Amman, Jabal Hussein, Abdoun and Marka to city center. Such solutions have worked in Amsterdam, Geneva, Vienna and even in the early days of Heliopolis near Cairo.
Such solutions should do away with congestions and promote the use of public transport as a fun, clean, safe and reliable alternative to move about the city. We still need to overhaul our inner city bus service and we may have to be content with only that for the time being.
Since a modern city will be built in Madoona, east of Amman, how about giving the light train a chance to run in these areas? I think it will prove to be a huge success. And while we are at, how about rehabilitating the Hejaz railway section that links the international airport with Wihdat? A fast train service between the airport and a new Wihdat terminal should ease traffic and encourage people to leave their cars at home and take the train to catch a flight!
I still believe that investors can be found to revive the Amman-Damascus railway service. Along the way services to Zarqa, Mafraq and Irbid can be created over time as well. The economic rewards will be enormous. A railway track is already in use between the Hassa phosphates mines and Aqaba but rehabilitating that line to carry passengers as well should do wonders to the economic revival of the south.
Train is a civilized way to travel. In this day and age it has been able to survive and compete. As more people become accustomed to taking the train, more cars will leave the roads as a result. The savings will be massive for individuals and governments.
It is a bold project that needs bold and pioneering people to adopt it. But most importantly it is a project that takes the future energy challenges into consideration. Big ideas begin with token gestures and I think we have plenty of choices today in Amman, Zarqa and others to put this idea to the test.
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