Transport minister inaugurates Middle East Rail 2022 conference

AMMAN — Transport Minister Wajih Azaizeh on Wednesday inaugurated the Middle East Rail 2022 conference in its 29th edition, which was held in cooperation with the Jordan Hijaz Railway Corporation (JHRC) and the International Union of Railways, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Delivering his speech at the opening ceremony, Azaizeh lauded the rail event as "important", which is held in its current version in the Kingdom, with the aim of linking Middle East member states with a single rail network, either by existing or future train projects in the coming years.

The minister also referred to the ministry's projects currently being implemented, especially in the railway sector.

In this regard, he pointed to the ministry's steps to prepare the necessary studies and plans of the Jordan National Railway Project (JNRP), which is a key pillar of the national transport strategy, to link the ports of Aqaba with the consumption and distribution areas in Madouna and Maan land (dry) ports, respectively.

The JNRP will reduce the costs of land transport, which would give Jordan a "competitive" advantage in the trade network between neighbouring countries and positively affect manufacturers and suppliers in the Kingdom, he said.

JHRC Director General Zahi Khalil said the conference is expected to produce "supportive" recommendations to link the surrounding countries with rail network, transport goods and passengers and remove all obstacles related to rail interconnection.