Cargo Line Set to Restart
Syria's General Railways Organization announced on 24 May 2026 plans to reactivate the 360-kilometer Latakia–Adra cargo railway, which has been out of service for more than 14 years. The route runs from the Mediterranean port of Latakia eastward to the Adra industrial zone in rural Damascus, two of the country's most important logistics nodes.
The organization's general director, engineer Osama Haddad, said reactivating the line would lower freight expenses for industry, exporters, and importers, while also reducing fuel consumption.
Cost and Efficiency
Rail freight on the corridor is projected to cut shipping costs by up to 30 percent compared with road haulage, easing pressure on Syria's truck fleet and freeing road capacity for shorter-distance work.
Haddad described rail transport as "a pivotal step in reintegrating railways into the national economic cycle" and as a "fundamental tool" linking ports with industrial areas.
Historical Volumes
In 2010, Syria's rail network moved roughly 8.5 million tons of cargo, of which approximately 715,000 tons originated at the ports of Latakia and Tartus. Container traffic alone accounted for about 600,000 tons, equivalent to 84 percent of port-related rail volume that year.
Latakia handled close to two-thirds of those port-origin tonnages, underscoring its dominant role in Syrian seaborne trade and explaining the priority being given to its rail reconnection.
Ports to Industry
The Latakia–Adra line is designed to link the coastal port directly with factories in the Adra industrial zone, restoring a freight artery that road-only logistics has had to substitute for more than a decade. The reactivation is expected to lower per-ton transport costs and improve scheduling for Damascus-area manufacturers reliant on seaborne inputs and exports.
Network in Recovery
The Latakia–Adra revival sits inside a broader effort to rehabilitate the Syrian railway network, which carried millions of tons annually before 2011 and largely collapsed during the conflict. The General Railways Organization said engineering and operational preparations are under way on the corridor.