THE LEBANON RAILWAY

It is strange that so little mention has been made of the Lebanon Railway, for no line has ever been built through more romantic country, or along a more historic route.The track follows the course of that ancient highway which once linked Baghdad and Damascus with the Mediterranean Sea. This is probably the world's oldest road, and it was certainly in use long before history began, for here we are in the very cradle of mankind, and beside its route we can still discover the traditional tombs of Adam's two sons.It was by this rocky, sun-baked road that the silks and jewels of Tyre travelled to the City of the Caliphs, so that the glamorous beauties of the Arabian Nights could be clothed in Tyrian purple and it was here that the Apostle Paul witnessed that heavenly vision which changed the whole course of his life, and altered the history of the world. 

 The first railway in Lebanon was also the first in the Arab world. It was opened on August 3, 1895, when a steam locomotive carried passengers from Beirut to Damascus. The trip used to take nine hours, passing through Baabda, Aley, Bhamdoun, Sofar, and Dahr al Baidar before descending into the Bekaa toward the Syrian border.Another railway was built in 1911 between Tripoli and Homs and a further link added during the Second World War to Haifa to transport British troops and military equipment to Tripoli. In 1945, Lebanon bought the railway, but its use was cut short because of the Israeli conflict. The Haifa - Tripoli line thus became the Nagoura - Tripoli line. The entire system came to halt in 1975 due to the escalating violence that was to become the 15 year long civil war in Lebanon.Restoration of the old services goes far beyond romantic reminiscence. Plans to restore the line have been repeatedly proposed and rejected since the war ended. Moving freight by rail would help clear bottlenecks on the Beirut-Damascus road, an increasing threat given the expansion of transit cargo foreseen for the Port of Beirut.At present, officials are studying the potential for railroad projects, with a focus on north Lebanon. Public Works and Transport Minister Najib Mikati said he was in the process of completing several projects, the most important of  which is the railway project linking Abboudieh, the border with Syria, Tripoli and Jounieh.Published in EXIT, Journeys 2005