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  • Middle East railroading

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Discussion about railroad topics everywhere outside of Canada and the United States.

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 #1425265  by george matthews
 
India is not considered the Middle East. It would normally be described as part of South Asia: India; Pakistan; Bangladesh; Sri Lanka and nearby countries. The British left an extensive network which independent India has extended, though Pakistan has let theirs decay and there is only one connection to India - with limited traffic.

For the Middle East you should include the Levant - Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and neighbouring areas. Possibly Iran. Egypt might be included and possibly Saudi Arabia and its neighbours.

The actual Middle East is very poorly furnished with railways. Probably one factor was that it was divided between Britain and France after the first world war and they didn't cooperate very much. Only Iran is connected to areas outside the ME - east to Pakistan (change of gauge) and west to Turkey - and also a link to the former Soviet Union (change of gauge). But in the Arab countries there is no network, only a few unconnected isolated lines.

Several lines that previously existed have ceased: e.g. Lebanon had a connection to Jordan but all its lines are derelict. Palestine (and Lebanon) had a connection to Egypt when under British control but the connection was severed when Israel took over the land. There was also a connection from Palestine to Jordan but that too was cut by Israel.

Iraq had a sparse network (I have ridden it myself) but it is now out of action after various wars. The same is true of Syria. Syria once had a connection with Turkey. Will any of these countries restore any rail activity? Peace is the necessary condition, and that doesn't look likely for any foreseeable future.