Iraqi Railways
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Iraq is a war-ravaged nation on the Arabian Peninsula whose economy relies on the nation's oil reserves. The government is a constitutional republic currently led by President Jalal Talabani. Iraq is a mixed Sunni and Shia Muslim state.
Railroads in Iraq are operated by the Iraqi Republic Railway Company (IRR). The IRR operates roughly 1900 km of track across Iraq, generally focused on the central, highly populated section of the country. Much of IRR's infrastructure has been damaged by disuse, disrepair, and the wars which have occupied the country for the greater part of three decades. Unfortunately, enough high explosives will stop trains from running.
Fortunately, the IRR has received aid and cooperation from the United States, Jordan, and Iran in rebuilding and repairing many of the nation's rail lines. The IR received 60 million USD to build modern railway communication networks, had has spent at least 50 million USD in repairing their existing network.
What is the baghdad railway?
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The Baghdad Railway, also known as the Berlin-Baghdad Railways, was a project begun by the German Empire in 1903. The Baghdad Railway was designed to connect Berlin to Baghdad through multiple European powers, Syria, and Turkey. The Railway was an expression of German colonial power, and theoretically allowed the German Empire to connect to their colonial interests in the Middle East, while bypassing the Suez Canal. The Baghdad Railway and the extension of German influence it represented was a point of contention in the buildup to the First World War.
However, due to technical and political difficulties, the railroad was not finished for the start of World War I, in fact it was not completed until at least 30 years later. The Baghdad Railway had fallen into disuse and disrepair by 1980, which was further exacerbated by several wars in the Persian Gulf region. In 2010 a section of the Railway between Mosul, Iraq and Gazientep, Turkey was repaired and reactivated for use.
However, due to technical and political difficulties, the railroad was not finished for the start of World War I, in fact it was not completed until at least 30 years later. The Baghdad Railway had fallen into disuse and disrepair by 1980, which was further exacerbated by several wars in the Persian Gulf region. In 2010 a section of the Railway between Mosul, Iraq and Gazientep, Turkey was repaired and reactivated for use.