Author: Andrew Grantham

Baghdad Central station refurbishment

Posted on by Andrew Grantham

It’s now a couple of years old, but I’ve just come across this article about modernisation work at Baghdad Central railway station.

The caption says This 1914 engine, capable of traveling 25 miles per hour, is the oldest Iraqi railway steam locomotive. It was retired in 1951 and is on display at the Baghdad Central Station.

Assuming this is the same plinthed loco as the one shown in the book Middle East Railways by Hugh Hughes, it is Baghdad Railway no.405, built by Borsig of Berlin as works no.8480 of 1912. It was originally an 0-6-0T, no.5.

Baghdad train station revitalized

Friday, 04 August 2006
Story and photos by Norris Jones
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

BAGHDAD — Karem recalled using Iraqi trains when he was a youngster.

Back then, the Baghdad Central Train Station was notorious for nonfunctioning restrooms and the foul odor of sewerage emanating from the basement. “But the trains themselves were always clean, comfortable and a great bargain,” the 33-year-old deputy resident engineer said.

Now Karem is overseeing a project that will not only re-introduce train travel to Baghdad, but will make the train station far better than he remembered as a child.

“Of the 19 projects I oversee, this is my favorite. I see the huge potential here,” he said. “Baghdad Central Train Station has the potential to generate many jobs – not only jobs directly connected with railroad operations, but also … taxi and bus drivers who would pick up passengers using the train station.”

In addition, more passengers coming through the train stations could generate more jobs at nearby hotels, shops and businesses, he said.

The $5.9 million project includes an all-new power plant and air conditioning system. “We have replaced all the electrical, water, and sewer lines. The roof and the plaster walls were replaced and the restaurant was rehabilitated,” Karem said.

The windows were replaced, all of the clocks were replaced and connected to one central system, and the broken mosaic floor tiles were replaced.

A new entrance was constructed. Two new seven-passenger elevators, new bathrooms and a hotel with 13 rooms were added along with a new fire alarm and sprinkler system. The train station was originally built by the British in 1954 and was considered the “Jewel of Baghdad” for travelers of the day. It offered telegraph services, a bank, a post office, shopping areas, a saloon and restaurant, and even had an office with printing presses which are still printing the train tickets.

“The overall structure was in great shape and we tried not to alter its historical look, despite the many improvements. If something needed to be added, we tried to match the same architectural style,” Karem said.

The project is nearing completion and Karem says a proposed $8 million maintenance facility for the locomotives and freight/passenger cars is now being considered.

“(The railroad is) the gateway to the world,” Karem said. “It’s a symbol of our freedom.”

Major Robert Nash, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officer who worked with Karem on the project, said he’s proud of Karem and the other 35 Iraqis who work on the station.

“Karem came here as a quality assurance representative, was promoted to project engineer, and is now one of our two Iraqi resident engineers,” he said.

“We worked together and helped put a plan in motion to increase the potential of what the Baghdad Central Train Station can become. It was just one of Sadaam’s toys and sat in a state of disrepair for decades.”

Although the number of trains being operated is limited, Nash is confident will regain the prominence it once had.

He looks forward to the day when he can fly into Baghdad International Airport, take a cab to the train station, and travel to any point in Iraq safely, securely and comfortably.

“Our Iraqi engineers are … building relationships that will last long after the last American has departed.”

Dan in the Desert has some 2006 photos of the station, including one showing the steam engine.

Saddam Hussein’s luxury train to return to service

Posted on by Andrew Grantham

This story seems to be all over the web today. Here is the Associated Press version, which many of the reports are taken from:

Saddam’s luxury train to return to service

Iraqi railway officials say Saddam Hussein’s personal luxury train will return to service next month.

Officials say the 23-carriage train will ferry passengers from Baghdad to the southern city of Basra.
(more…)



Saddam’s luxury train to return to service from Associated Press

The train is described as French-built, with 23 carriages (more than one rake?) and three locomotives.

The locomotives have previously been reported as Thyssen-Henschel/EMD JT22CW locos DEM 2559, 2560 and 2561.

DEM 2561 is the loco on the right in this 2004 photo by Rick Degman.

Back in April 2003 The Times of Oman reported

Saddam’s phantom train is now a sorry sight

Saddam Hussein’s private train, which he never bothered to use, now sits vandalised and looted in a dark railyard in Baghdad’s deserted central station…Saddam preferred to travel by plane for security reasons…Three engines allocated for presidential use and another unit purely to supply electricity, glistening with new green paint, were built in 1984 by the German company Thyssen, as attested by a plaque fixed to their sides…The living quarters – five French-made carriages – comprised a lounge, a dining room, sleeping quarters and a seating area…

Jordan seeks funds for rail link

Posted on by Andrew Grantham

Investment wanted for better links to neighbours:

Jordan plans railway, oil link with Iraq

AMMAN – Jordan is seeking six billion dollars from international donors to build a railway link with its neighbours and plans to import Iraqi crude oil by rail, the transport ministry said on Sunday.

The railway would link Jordan’s Red Sea port of Aqaba in the south with the Syrian border, through Amman and then the industrial city of Zarqa, the ministry said in a report carried by the official Petra news agency. Covering more than 1,000 km (600 miles), the railway would also link the Saudi and Iraqi borders with Jordan’s northern city of Irbid as well as the northeastern towns of Mafraq and Azraq.

The report recommended that Iraqi crude oil be carried via rail, scrapping plans to build a 260-million-dollar pipeline between the two countries.

“Lack of funds is the only problem facing the project, which should be completed by 2013, and any delay would increase the costs,” Petra quoted the report as saying.

Amman and Baghdad agreed last year to study the possibility of building an oil pipeline from Iraq’s Haditha pumping station to Aqaba.

At the end of 2004, Jordan said it would conduct a feasibility study into building a pipeline between Haditha and Jordan’s sole refinery in the industrial city of Zarqa, northeast of Amman.

The kingdom was entirely dependent on Iraq for its oil before the 2003 toppling of Saddam Hussein, importing 5.5 million tonnes a year by road, half of it free of charge and the rest at preferential rates.

In June, Iraq agreed to renew a 2006 deal to provide Jordan, which imports 95 percent of its energy needs, with between 10 and 30 percent of its daily oil requirements of around 100,000 barrels at a preferential price.

I can’t find the “report carried by the official Petra news agency”, at least not in English, but Petra also reports:

Government seeks funding for the implementation of railway project

Amman, July 26: The cost of establishing a railway project linking major cities and production centers in the Kingdom with neighboring countries hampers the establishment of this project expected to cost JD4.3 billion, according to specialized a study announced by the Transport Ministry.

The government hopes to get the necessary funds to complete the project by 2013.

The study noted that JD2.8 billion will be allocated for infrastructure, while JD1.4 billion will be allocated for purchasing rail fleet.

It highlighted the need to start the process of establishing the project as soon as possible as any delay will increase the investment cost and will not be feasible in economic terms.

Minister of Transport Ala’a Batayneh announced that the government started to expropriate lands located on the railways track which extends to 1080 kilometers at a total cost of JD350 million.

Earlier, the cabinet, which examined results of the study, decided to form a ministerial steering committee led by the transport minister to follow up on the implementation of the project.

Batayneh said in a specialized workshop that was held to familiarize concerned official and private bodies on the project, that His Majesty King Abdullah directed the government to secure the necessary funding for the project which will enhance Jordan’s role in transport and transit operations.

Jordan was among 13 Arab countries that approved during meetings of ESCWA in Beirut a railway linkage agreement which gave those countries a period of 10-15 years to implement their internal railway.

Modelling Iraqi railways

Posted on by Andrew Grantham

RMweb has some discussion of models which could be used to represent Iraqi Republic Railways locos.

Three or four years ago I went to a model railway show in Sutton, south London, where someone was selling imported Czech resin bodyshells for building models of various Czech(-oslovakian) locomotives. At least one of the bodies on show was suitable for an Iraqi loco – perhaps a T669. Unfortunately I didn’t buy one at the time, and I didn’t take the details of where they were made and who imported them. Does this sound familar to anyone? I could be tempted to acquire one now if anyone knows who the supplier is!

Anyway, an RMweb poster called Fosterboy has identified some possible candidates for conversion into models of IRR locos.


IRR DEM2200 loco.

Piko model of SNCF BB 567590
Piko SNCF BB 567590 model.


IRR DEM2700 loco
Bachmann model CD00301, DF4D Diesel Loco
Bachmann Chinese DF4D model


IRR DEM2800 I think you need the cabs of ??? and the body of ???
Unfortunately the links from RMweb to the Roco website have got mangled, and I can’t figure out a way to reverse engineer them, but this class has been described as “the body of a TE109, the front ends of a M62 and the roof fixtures of a 2TE121”, which could help pin down suitable models (why are so many model manufacturers’ websites so appallingly bad?).


The DES3100 is available as a brass kit
DK-Model brass T669 locomotive kit
DK-Model brass T669 locomotive kit

More suggestions would be very welcome!

Railways in Bahrain

Posted on by Andrew Grantham

A news story from last Friday (13 June 2008) was that a Bahrain-based investor has bought UK-based freight operator Freightliner.

Which indirectly raises the question of whether there are any railways in Bahrain? As far as I know there aren’t, but rather bizarrely thay have an ex-British Rail Mark I coach in use as a restaurant!

[An ex-British Railways mark One coach in Bahrain]

According to the Southern Electric Group, buffet car 69338 from 4Big unit 2206/7054 is the station restaurant for the Gulf Corporation in Bahrain.

[An ex-British Railways mark One coach in Bahrain]
Photos by David Kelso, March 2003

Cleanup gets rails back on track

Posted on by Andrew Grantham

Another press story from the US military. This one was dated 18 March 2008.

Iraqi Republic Railways at Camp Taji
Workers with the Iraqi republic railways clear debris, March 12, from the tracks on Camp Taji, Iraq. It has been four years since the tracks were last used and as a result they have fallen into disrepair. The yard at Taji is an important part of the railway’s future.

Cleanup Gets Rails Back on Track

By Staff Sgt. Bryant Maude
1st Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – It has been four years since a train powered its way onto Camp Taji, Iraq, and at least that long since any care or attention has been paid to the rail yard. As a result, a crew of ten Iraqi Republic Railway’s workers started the rigorous task of cleaning and repairing the neglected tracks.

Today they are repairing switches, placing derailed train cars back onto the tracks, and clearing debris,” said Staff Sgt. Gilbert Torress, a native of Fresno, Calif., and the sergeant of the guard with Detachment 1, 1st Battalion, 143rd Field Artillery, a California National Guard unit attached to the 1st Sustainment Brigade. After this they will load containers on cars and test the tracks.”

These tracks are currently being renovated as part of an initiative to rebuild the railroad and it’s capabilities to move large volumes of cargo.

The trains pulling in here will carry mostly containers and Iraqi army materials bound for the maintenance facilities under the Taji National Depot,” said Maj. Ira Baldwin, a Laurinburg, N.C., native and mobility chief for the 1st Sustainment Brigade.

Every track cleaned and switch repaired is a step closer to a fully functioning railroad and the eventual creation of good paying jobs for Iraqi people.

Train runs through Taji

Posted on by Andrew Grantham

A story from US military press services DVIDS, dated 10 March 2008.

Iraqi Republic Railways DEM2716
Waving to spectators and honking the horn of his bright, green and red, locomotive, Mustapha the train conductor is the first Iraqi Republic Railways worker to make the journey along the old tracks between the central Baghdad rail yard in Baghdad and Camp Taji, in many years.

For the First Time in Several Years an Iraqi Republic Railways Locomotive Entered the Rail Gates at Camp Taji

By Staff Sgt. Bryant Maude
1st Sustainment Brigade, Public Affairs Office

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Waving to spectators and honking the horn of his bright, green and red, locomotive, Mustapha the train conductor, was the first Iraqi Republic Railways worker to make the journey along the old tracks between the central Baghdad rail yard in Baghdad and Camp Taji, in many years.

This historical journey was part of a proof-of-purpose designed to rebuild the tattered railway and stimulate the young economy; it was one small step in that direction for sure.

“An increased use of the rail infrastructure will translate to big dinars for the Iraqi economy,” said Maj. Ira Baldwin, Laurinburg, N.C., native and mobility chief for the 1st Sustainment Brigade.

As far as coalition forces are concerned, the new train will enable large movements of cargo between the port at Um Qasar and Camp Taji, creating greater logistical economies-of-scale.

“Since Taji is the closest secured location nearest Logistics Support Area-Anaconda the trains will allow a faster movement between the two,” stated Baldwin. “This will reduce the costs of moving cargo as compared to over the road, but the greater benefit is that trains will take a great number of Soldiers off the road which translates to lives saved.”

This concern for safety translated to a heavy presence of security forces on Camp Taji. Soldiers from Macedonia were on hand to inspect, Soldiers from Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment opened the rail gates, and Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, Detachment 1, 143rd Field Artillery, 1st Sustainment Brigade, Soldiers provided over watch.

“We are on the lookout for any suspicious activities along the route line,” stated Spc. Justin Cox, a native of Visalia, Calif., and artilleryman with HHB, Det. 1, 143rd FA.

Although there was no call for security intervention, like all things in life, this exercise did not come without challenges.

“There were at least two attempts prior to the successful engine proof of purpose,” said Baldwin. “The conductor’s house was raided and his son was arrested the night prior to the first scheduled POP; then later, there was another train carrying petroleum originating from Bajyi that was high jacked.”

In spite of the challenges, the train movement was a success. Compared to what occurred repeatedly back in 2004 at the height of the insurgency where seemingly every train was a moving target.

“The Multi-National Corps-Iraq future operation cell, the 316th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, the Taji Base Defense Operations Cell, and the Soldiers of the 1st Sustainment Brigade came together and proved that joint efforts do work with close coordination and rehearsals,” stated Baldwin. “I am very proud of what the Iraqi people want to reestablish in regards to improving their lives.”

This increased use of the IRR will equate to increased income generated by local, national, and eventually international trade; overall, the rail industry will provide solid jobs for the Iraqi people as exampled by the conductor Mustapha who has been employed by the IRR for over 27 years.

“I am very lucky to be a part of history in the making by helping to make a train run through,” stated Baldwin.

Kuwait to build rail network?

Posted on by Andrew Grantham

This week a Kuwaiti official has described plans for a 165 km, four-line metro to be built within six years. Perhaps now Dubai has one almost finished, everyone wants one?

Not only that, but there will be a 505.5 km rail system, eventually linking Saudi Arabia with Iraq, presumably somewhere near Basra. And it might even have links on to Iran, as well.

There have been rumours in the past of proposals for a railway to get supplies from the docks to US bases in Kuwait, taking lots of lorries off the emirate’s roads.