A preserved steam train on the Hejaz railway, near Wadi Rum desert, Jordan. The train was used in the film Lawrence of Arabia. Getty Images
The Hejaz railway that once connected Damascus to Madinah is going to be revived. Getty Images
Kadem Station, one of the most important stops on the historic Hejaz Railway and once a meeting point for pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land, now vandalised by forces of the ousted Baath regime, in the Syrian capital Damascus. Getty Images
Hejaz Railway Station in Damascus, after Syrian rebels toppled Bashar Al Assad, in December 2024. Reuters
The railway was originally intended to link Istanbul to Makkah, to ease pilgrimage. By 1908 it connected Damascus to Madinah, but its initial aim was never realised. Getty Images
A steam train on the Hejaz railway at Madain Saleh, in AlUla, Saudi Arabia. Reuters
Disused carriages at Kadem Station, Damascus. Getty Images
Disused parts of the Hejaz Railway in 2007, in Mkhaibeh, Jordan. Getty Images