Syria gets $200m from World Bank to upgrade rail network

Syria has secured a $200 million grant from the World Bank to upgrade its railway infrastructure to support economic recovery.

The funding will go to modernise railway infrastructure, procure locomotives and equipment, maintain existing locomotives and train personnel, the state-run Syrian News Agency reported Ali Asbar, director of land transport affairs at the transport ministry, as saying.

The government is prioritising links between production zones and industrial centres to lower transport costs, boost competitiveness and support a sustainable recovery through an upgraded rail network.

Asbar said that studies are underway to revive key transport corridors, particularly routes connecting Syria with neighbouring countries, including the north-south axis, as well as lines connecting seaports with inland dry ports.

He said the railways transported 232,443 tonnes of goods in the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 81 percent year on year.

• Turkey gets $1.9bn from World Bank for Asia-Europe rail link
• World Bank arm ups Egypt investment to $1.2bn
• Syria’s energy revamp rests on support from US and Gulf

Syria’s President Ahmed Al-Sharaa announced in March that the 2026 budget was set at about $10.5 billion, nearly triple last year’s level.

The GDP is estimated to reach $60-$65 billion this year, he said, adding that the economy could return to 2010 levels and improve services.

In February the International Monetary Fund said that Syria recorded a small fiscal surplus in 2025 as economic activity gradually began to recover.