Transport in Jordan
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[edit] Railways
Total: 507 km - narrow gauge of 1,050 mm (3 ft 51⁄3 in) (2008)
[edit] Plans
A National Rail System was approved by the Jordanian Government which will connect all major cities and towns by passenger and cargo rail. There are two lines to be constructed. The North-South Line passing through Mafraq, Zarqa, Amman, Maan, and Aqaba with international connections to Syria and Saudi Arabia. The East-West Line will run from Mafraq, Irbid, and Azraq with international connections to Iraq and possibly Israel. The national rail system is planned to be completed by 2013. These routes are planned to be electrified. There are also plans for a light rail system operating between Amman and Zarqa and a funicular and metro line in Amman.
Two connected but non-contiguously operated sections of the Hedjaz Railway exist:
- from Amman in Jordan to Syria, as the "Hedjaz Jordan Railway."
- from phosphate mines near Ma'an to the Gulf of Aqaba as the "Aqaba Railway."
See Hejaz railway.
[edit] Railway links with adjacent countries
Since all of Jordan's neighbours use primarily standard gauge, any linkup would most likely see the conversion of Jordan's remaining narrow gauge lines.
Syria - yes (albeit only to Damascus, as the rest of Syria's railway network utilzes the standard gauge which is not compatible with Jordan's narrow gauge system).
Saudi Arabia - Plans are advanced for a North South railway from the Jordainian border to Riyadh and Ras Az Zawr
Israel - no. (Plans have been discussed to construct a standard gauge line from Irbid, Jordan to Bet Shean where it would link up with a revived Jezreel Valley railway.)
Egypt - no - requires bridge over Gulf of Aqaba or a train ferry
Palestine - no
Iraq - no
[edit] Timeline
[edit] 2008
- International connections [1]
[edit] 2007
[edit] 2006
- Various rail proposals.[2]
- The Israeli business newspaper Globes reported that in a meeting between the Israeli minister of transport, Shaul Mofaz and the Jordanian ambassador in Tel Aviv in November, the transport minister announced that European nations are interested in financing the construction of a Haifa-Irbid-Amman railway.
[edit] 2005
-
- Jordanian Transport Minister Saoud Nseirat responds to comments made on Monday, December 12, by Israeli Transport Minister Meir Shitrit. Shitrit had announced his intentions to propose a new standard gauge railway to connect Haifa, Israel, to Irbid, Jordan, passing through King Hussein Bridge and Jenin, a project that could cost as much as $300 million (for the Jordanian portion of the line). Nseirat responded to Shitrit's comments with a denial, stating that there have not been any discussions between the two nations on such a project and no plans for such a connection have been proposed by anyone in the Jordanian government. Shitrit plans to make his formal proposal at a conference for Mediterranean transport ministers in Marrakesh on December 20.[3]
-
- - The Public Transport Regulatory Commission has entered into an agreement with a private sector consortium, following a competitive bidding process, to develop a light rail system between the Jordanian capital Amman and nearby industrial city of Zarqa. This light rail project, to be operational by 2011, will be the first urban rail public-private partnership (PPP) in the Middle East. The system will be operated using 1,435 mm (4 ft 81⁄2 in) (standard gauge) electrically propelled light rail vehicles on a double track. The total length of the LRS system will be approximately 25 kilometres. The majority of the LRS route, between Al-Mahatta (in Amman) and New Zarqa will be constructed within the existing Hedjaz Railway right-of-way (22.2 kilometres). The Public Transport Regulatory Commission estimates that the new system will carry about 45,000 passengers a day in its first year. Canada's CPCS was the lead advisor to the PTRC in this PPP transaction.
-
- CPCS is also advising the Government of Jordan in the privatization of the Aqaba Railroad Corporation, running from Ma'an to Aqaba. This railway is used to transport phosphate from mines located in Ma'an. The commission plans to modernize the old 1,050 mm (3 ft 51⁄3 in) narrow gauge railway and replace it with new track.
[edit] Stations
[edit] Highways
(2001
est.)
total: 8,000 km
paved: 8,000 km
unpaved: 0 km
[edit] Pipelines
crude oil 209 km; note - may not be in use or be living
[edit] Ports and harbors
[edit] Merchant marine
total: 7 ships (with a volume of 1,000 gross register tons (GRT) or over) totaling 42,746 GRT/59,100 metric tons deadweight (DWT)
ships by type (1999): bulk carrier 2, cargo ship 2, container ship 1, livestock carrier 1, roll-on/roll-off ship 1
[edit] Airports
(1999 est.): 20
[edit] Airports - with paved runways
total (1999): 16
over 10,000 ft (3,048 m): 9
8000 ft to 9,999 ft (2,438 to 3,047 m): 4
under 3,000 ft (914 m): 3
[edit] Airports - with unpaved runways
total (1999): 4
5,000 to 7,999 ft (1,524 to 2,438 m): 1
3,000 to 4,999 ft (914 to 1,523 m): 1
under 3000 ft (914 m): 2
[edit] Heliports (1999)
1
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Transport in Jordan |
- ^ http://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11342892.htm
- ^ [1]
- ^ ArabicNews.com (December 14, 2005), "Jordan denies reports on a railway project with Israel". Retrieved December 15, 2005.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the CIA World Factbook.
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