photo: blackthorne57 / Flickr/Tour train in the desert north of Amman on the Hejaz Railway
The Hejaz Railway was once the Ottoman Empire’s boldest bet—a line binding Damascus to Medina in the name of faith, power, and modernity. But after war, sabotage, and collapse, the Middle East’s most legendary rail dream now rusts away, a silent casualty of history.
More than a century ago, the Hejaz Railway promised a direct link between Damascus and the holy city of Mecca. Instead, it became a symbol of imperial ambition, religious devotion, and ultimate political collapse. Today, it stands as a haunting reminder of a grand project that never fully materialised.
Building the Hejaz Railway: A Symbol of Ottoman Renewal
At the dawn of the 20th century, the Ottoman Empire faced steep economic decline but sought to assert its relevance on the world stage. In 1900, under the leadership of Sultan Abdul Hamid II, the empire launched one of its most ambitious projects: the Hejaz Railway. The railway aimed to transport pilgrims swiftly from Damascus to Islam’s sacred cities, while also strengthening imperial control over distant provinces.
Muslims across the empire enthusiastically contributed to the project, viewing it as a religious and national duty. Thanks to this widespread support, construction progressed rapidly, adding up to 300 kilometres of track per year. By 1908, the railway reached Medina, slashing travel time from 50 days by caravan to just three days by train.
While the railway's primary narrative celebrated religious devotion, it also served strategic military and political goals. The Ottomans used it to move troops and supplies efficiently across the Arabian Peninsula, aiming to integrate and fortify their Arab provinces. For a brief period, the railway thrived as both a logistical lifeline and a marvel of modern transportation.
War and Destruction: The End of a Dream
The outbreak of World War I sealed the railway’s fate. As the Ottoman military increasingly relied on it for logistics, Arab forces, with support from British agents like T.E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia"), targeted the railway for sabotage. In a historic first, moving locomotives and large stretches of track were successfully destroyed by guerrilla tactics.
These attacks crippled the Hejaz Railway. After the war, large sections were never rebuilt, and decades of intermittent restoration efforts failed to revive it on a significant scale.
The Railway Today: A Silent Witness to History
Today, the remnants of the Hejaz Railway linger quietly across the Middle East. In cities like Amman, few locals even recognise the railway’s historic significance. The old stations and tracks survive, but only as ghostly relics amidst urban sprawl. Some sections still serve limited tourist functions, with old steam locomotives occasionally running short trips. "I love them. With their ancient steel plating and billows of steam, they have become a part of my soul," said one veteran driver in Syria, reflecting on 55 years of service.
Yet for the region as a whole, newer modes of transport—pipelines and highways—have largely replaced the railway. The grand vision of the Hejaz Railway has faded into history, a lost dream from an empire’s final years.
Sources: Amusingplanet.com, Thehejazrailway.com; RAILTARGET