Asia14 September, 20262 min read
Lebanon and Syria Technical Delegations Inspect Railway Link to Port of Tripoli via al-Akari Station
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Lebanese and Syrian technical delegations conducted on-site visits to assess rail link to Tripoli Port. Meetings and field inspections follow up the August 25 Damascus ministerial talks.
5 outlets told this the same way.
Rail Link Progresses
Lebanon and Syria technical delegations have continued field inspections as part of efforts to restore the railway link and connect the Port of Tripoli to the Syrian rail network via al-Akari station and Homs.
The authority said the move came as part of follow-up on a meeting held in Damascus on August 25 between Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamny and Syrian Transport Minister Dr. Yarob Badr.
The tour included an inspection of the railway line inside the Port of Tripoli, and the Syrian side expressed positive remarks about its condition while noting that final suitability remains subject to technical tests by the consultant under the terms of the contract.
The delegations also visited the Akkari station on the Syrian side, located about five kilometers from the Lebanese border, to discuss linking the Lebanese railway line to the station and then to Homs and the rest of the Syrian railway network.
Track Gauge Not Block
In the next phase, the delegations said the work would focus on completing technical studies for the route, assessing expected freight traffic, economic feasibility, project costs and funding sources, in preparation for a joint technical workshop between the two sides. The Syrian side explained that differences in track gauge between the two railway networks do not constitute a technical or operational obstacle to the proposed connection.
The Ici Beyrouth account described the same sequence of on-site visits to assess the condition of existing infrastructures and the possibilities for connection, followed by a step focused on the technical studies of the route, expected volume of goods, economic feasibility, the project cost, and funding sources. The VDL NEWS press release likewise said the Syrian side voiced positive observations regarding the line’s condition and potential usefulness, with final validity subject to technical tests conducted by the consultant under the contract.
What Comes Next
The delegations concluded their meetings and field inspections with an agreement to continue work on the project, and the next step would prepare a joint technical workshop devoted to the project’s next steps. If feasibility is confirmed and the necessary funding is secured, the link would connect the Port of Tripoli through Akkari station and Homs to the Syrian railway network, strengthening the port’s role in regional trade and freight transport.
An-Nahar described the same plan as preparation for reconnecting the rail linkage between Lebanon and Syria, with the tour inspecting the railway line existing in Tripoli port and moving to Al-Akary Station about five kilometers from the Lebanese border. Daily Beirut, meanwhile, reported that Lebanon Government offices in Zahle continued operating normally amid total calm around the complex, following a lack of significant response to a call by activists for protests over living conditions and rising prices.