Transport in Iraq
Transport in Iraq consists of railways, highways, waterways, pipelines, ports and harbors, marines and airports.
Railways
[edit | edit source]total:
2,272 km
standard gauge:
2,272 km Template:RailGauge
The Baghdad Metro (Template:Langx), also known as Baghdad Elevated Train (BET) is a planned rapid transit public railway system consisting of an underground metro as well as an elevated railway in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. In July 2024, it was announced that an international consortium consisting of French, Spanish and Turkish companies as well as Deutsche Bank were awarded $17.5 billion to implement the Baghdad Metro project.[1] The project is estimated to be completed by May 2029.[2]
A 37 km monorail is planned in Najaf, which would link three Shi'ite holy sites.[3]
The first Iraqi Republic Railways train to Basra since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime arrived on 26 April 2003. British troops hope to use the 68 km long railway to transport much-needed aid supplies from the port town of Umm Qasr to Basra.
In June 2011, it was announced that planning had begun for a new high-speed rail line between Baghdad and Basra, with a memorandum of understanding with Alstom having been signed.[4]
Maps
[edit | edit source]Railway links with adjacent countries
[edit | edit source]All adjacent countries generally use Template:RailGauge, but may vary in couplings. Neighbours with electrified railways – Turkey and Iran – both use the world standard 25 kVAC
Turkey – via Syria
Iran – one link partially under construction and a second link planned
- Iraq-Iran Basra-Shalamcheh line – under construction[5][6]
- Kermanshah, Iran, and the Iraqi province of Diyala – construction commenced. [7]
Kuwait – no railways
Saudi Arabia -
Jordan – partially constructed – break of gauge Template:RailGauge/Template:RailGauge gauge
Syria – same gauge – at Rabiaa/al-Ya'rubiya
Road Transport
[edit | edit source]An overland trans-desert bus service between Beirut, Haifa, Damascus and Baghdad was established by the Nairn Transport Company of Damascus in 1923.
Roads
[edit | edit source]total:
55,100 km
paved:
40,362 km,
unpaved:
10,274 km (2025)
Waterways
[edit | edit source]5,729 km (Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River 1,899 km, Third River (565 km)); Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for about 130 km. The channel has been dredged to 3 m and is in use. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers have navigable sections for shallow-draft watercraft; the Shatt al Basrah canal was navigable by shallow-draft craft before closing in 1991 because of the Gulf War.
Pipelines
[edit | edit source]crude oil 5,432 km; natural gas 2,455 km; refined products 1,637 km; liquid petroleum gas 913 km
Ports and harbors
[edit | edit source]Persian Gulf
[edit | edit source]- Umm Qasr Port
- Khawr az Zubayr
- Al Basrah has limited functionality
- Grand Faw Port (Under construction)
Merchant marine
[edit | edit source]total:
32 ships (with a volume of Template:GT or over) totaling Template:GT/Template:DWT
ships by type:
cargo ship 14, passenger ship 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 13, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off ship 2 (1999 est.)
Airports
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Iraq has about 104 airports as of 2012. Major airports include:
- Baghdad International Airport
- Basra International Airport
- Mosul International Airport
- Erbil International Airport
- Duhok International Airport (under construction)
- Sulaimaniyah International Airport
- Najaf International Airport
Airports – with paved runways
[edit | edit source]| Total[8] | 75 |
| over 3,047 m | 20 |
| 2,438 to 3,047 m | 36 |
| 1,524 to 2,437 m | 5 |
| 914 to 1,523 m | 6 |
| under 914 m | 6 |
Airports – with unpaved runways
[edit | edit source]| Total | 29 |
| over 3,047 m | 3 |
| 2,438 to 3,047 m | 4 |
| 1,524 to 2,437 m | 3 |
| 914 to 1,523 m | 13 |
| under 914 m | 6 |
Heliports
[edit | edit source]81 (2025)
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ Muhsen, Majda; Projects, Zawya. "Iraq's Ministry of Transport to include Baghdad Metro in 2023 budget". metrorailtoday.com/. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
- ↑ "Baghdad metro project consortium selected". Railwaygazette.
- ↑ "Railway Gazette: Urban rail progress in Najaf and Baghdad". Retrieved 21 July 2010.
- ↑ "Iraq: France's Alstom signs high-speed rail line deal". BBC News. 24 June 2011. Archived from the original on 27 June 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
- ↑ Kurdistan24 (26 May 2025). "Iran Moves to Cement Rail Ties with Iraq". Iran Moves to Cement Rail Ties with Iraq. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
- ↑ Motamedi, Maziar. "Why is the Shalamcheh-Basra railroad so important to Iran and Iraq?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
- ↑ "Iran says rail link with Iraq, Kurdistan Region nearing completion". The New Region. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
- ↑ "Iraq Airports - with paved runways - Transportation". www.indexmundi.com. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
External links
[edit | edit source] |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Transport in Iraq. |