Khaberni - Today, Minister of Transport Dr. Nidal Al-Qatamin inaugurated a steam locomotive that the staff of the Hejaz Railway Institution restored and operated after a stoppage of about forty years, during his visit to the institution's headquarters, where he was received by the general manager of the institution, Engineer Zahi Khalil, in the presence of the Ministry's Secretary General Fares Abu Dayyeh and a number of directors from the Ministry and the institution.
The minister listened to a briefing from Dr. Zahi Khalil, the general manager of the Jordanian Hejaz Railway, about the current state of the institution and its future plans, which included activities of the institution and the tourist trips it operates regularly, including three trips a week from Amman to Mafraq and from Amman to Giza, in addition to plans aimed at organizing tourist trips within Wadi Rum and from the Jaradana area north of Ma’an south to the founder’s palace, and future plans aimed at stimulating domestic tourism and enhancing the status of the Hejaz Railway.
Al-Qatamin emphasized the historical importance of the line, which carries a Hashemite and Jordanian legacy, underlining the necessity of preserving and sustaining the historical buildings and facilities associated with it, and utilizing them to highlight national and cultural symbols, calling for the development of the institution and the investment of its resources to achieve its goals in transportation and tourism, with a focus on digital transformation and enhancing the technological infrastructure in administrative and technical work.
During the tour, the minister inaugurated a steam locomotive that the institution's staff worked on restoring and operating after a stoppage of about forty years. He also reviewed the progress of work on the Hejaz Railway Museum project, which has reached about 80% completion and is expected to open to visitors during the first half of next year, to display historical artifacts that document the national narrative and highlight the role of the line in the history of the Jordanian state.
This visit is part of a series of field tours carried out by the Minister of Transport to review the reality of the institutions affiliated with the ministry and their development projects and to address the most significant challenges and needs to ensure the development of the transport sector in its various forms in the Kingdom.
