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Lebanon and Syria have taken new steps toward reconnecting the Port of Tripoli to Syria's railway network as part of a broader effort to strengthen regional trade and transport links across the eastern Mediterranean.
Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamni said the two countries had made progress on plans to restore the rail connection, adding that Lebanon had appointed a consultancy firm to review and update the design of the Tripoli–Al-Aboudiyeh railway line.
Rasamni made the remarks during a ceremony at the Grand Serail in Beirut, where agreements and memoranda of understanding on strategic partnerships, investment and sustainable development in Tripoli were signed.
Joint technical committee to oversee project
He said reconnecting the Port of Tripoli through Al-Aboudiyeh to the Lebanon-Syria border and onward to Homs and Syria's national railway network is a top priority for both governments.
According to Rasamni, Lebanon and Syria have agreed to establish a joint technical committee to review previous studies, update the proposed route, assess technical requirements and expected freight volumes, and prepare the project for implementation and financing.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the appointment of a consultancy firm marks an important step toward transforming the project from a concept into a modern feasibility study that will determine implementation phases, technical specifications and overall costs.
Railway link aims to boost regional trade
Rasamni said linking Tripoli Port to Syria's railway network would eventually provide direct transport connections to Iraq, Jordan, the Gulf states and Türkiye, opening access to markets far larger than Lebanon's domestic economy.
The railway project forms part of a broader strategy to develop Tripoli into a regional logistics and trade hub. As part of that plan, authorities aim to expand the port's annual container-handling capacity from around 250,000 TEUs to approximately 800,000 TEUs during the first expansion phase and eventually to more than 1.8 million TEUs. (ILKHA)
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