Iraq’s Transport Ministry has confirmed that the $17 billion Development Road project will feature a high-speed railway. The rail lines will run alongside the highway.
Operations on the route are intended to commence in 2031. The Development Road project will provide a transport link to rival the Suez Canal.The 1,200km route will connect the port of port of Faw on the Persian Gulf in Southern Iraq, and close to the city of Basra, with Mesrin in North Turkey. The first stage of the project will be to connect Faw with Iraq’s capital, Baghdad.
Bids are expected to open for the first contracts for the project in late 2025. Key Turkish and Egyptian contractors are expected to be amongst those bidding for the work. The project is being managed jointly by the Turkish Government and Iraqi Government. However, both the UAE Government and Qatar Government are acting as additional partners for the project.
