Iraq Confirms 83% Completion of Development Road Railway — Coordination With Kurdistan Ongoing
The Iraqi Ministry of Transport has announced major progress on the Development Road project, confirming that 83% of the railway line design has been completed and coordination with the Kurdistan Regional Government is actively ongoing.
Ministry spokesman Maitham Al-Safi said that the initial design phase is now complete, and work has entered the detailed design stage. He added that the land route is 68% finished, while the railway route has reached 83% completion.
Al-Safi also noted that the government has discussed a draft Development Road Law aimed at setting a long-term strategy to attract investors and protect the project’s framework.
On the Faw Port, which is a central hub in the Development Road plan, Al-Safi confirmed that construction progress has increased “very significantly” and the port is scheduled to open by the end of this year.
He emphasized that coordination committees between Baghdad and Erbil are meeting regularly to ensure full cooperation on the project, with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani personally overseeing the discussions.
The $17 billion mega project includes $10.5 billion for modern electric trains and $6.5 billion for railway infrastructure. The first phase is expected to finish in 2028, while the final phase will conclude by 2050.
