Mosul to Turkey

There was a BBC radio news report on Tuesday that a train connection has resumed running after 20 years.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle ... 518109.stm

I did once consider travelling to Basra by train from Istanbul but was told the train wasn't running. It hasn't run for about 20 years.

There was a symbolic train earlier, in 2001, but this may be the first of a regular service. I imagine visas would be a problem, especially if one is needed for Syria.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1315686.stm

Samuel Rachdl advises-

Passenger services from Turkey through Syria to Iraq (Gaziantep-Nusaybin-Al Qamishlié-El Yaroubié-Mossoul) have been suspended in July 1984. Then in June 2001 a through passenger train operated by Iraqi Railways resumed on a weekly base (freight traffic recommenced two months earlier). This service lasted until March 2003. On August 1, 2003 a weekly passenger service between Mossoul and Aleppo started, leaving just the very short section between El Qamishlié and Nusaybin without passenger traffic. This service to Aleppo was very badly used, because travelling to/from Iraq was made impossible by the war in Iraq, so this trains was cancelled from mid-2004 on (exact date not known). In 2009 first freight, then passenger services resumed between Mossul and Aleppo, but the passenger train was reduced to the Mossoul - El Qamishlié section since december 2009. This because Syrian Railways haven't sold tickets for internal trips within Syria, for international journeys only. Concerning Iraqi Railways statistics rarely more than 36 passengers crossed the border with this four-coach train, offering space for 300 passengers. Since the 1980s none of the trains crossing the borders between Iraq and Syria or Syria and Turkey conveyed more than 75 passengers at one time (exception: the Tehran - Syria service has from time to time up to 250 passengers).


Tony Bailey

And further, Barrie advises-


I notice from the latest Google Earth imagery 27/3/09 that Syria are completing the 135 km Euphrates Valley Rail Link between Dayr-Az-Zawr (Syria) and Husaiba (Iraq) that will form a much shorter link between Baghdad and Aleppo of about 800 km. Views from 5/9/07 show track laid south west from the junction near Dayr Az Zawr on the north bank of the Euphrates for some 20 km. Previous images had shown work on the formation apparently abandoned about 30 km north of Husaiba where an expensive Euphrates bridge was required. The new images show work underway in Syria on the remaining 30 km including the new Euphrates rail bridge with piers for double track. It would appear the railway is single track with earthworks and bridge piers for future doubling. In Iraq, the single track Husaiba branch terminates 2 km from the border at a 3 platform station that appears designed for through international workings. Imagery from 3/1/05 shows Syria building the formation within 5 km of the border with the clear intention to link up with the terminus.

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Tony Bailey