IRR Southern Line



The IRR Southern Line, also known as the Baghdad–Basra Railway Line, is a railway line that operates since 2014 between the cities of Baghdad and Basra in Iraq. It is operated by the Iraqi Republic Railways. The line is roughly 550 km long, with intermediate cities including Karbala, Musayyib, Diwaniya, Samawah and Nasiriya. A proposal was put forward to turn the railway route into a high-speed rail one, but it was never realised. Under that project it was also planned to connect the city of Najaf to the rail network.

Speed
The line was planned to be high-speed, allowing a top speed of 250 km/h, but operates at an average speed of 60-70 km/h and a top speed of 125 km/h.

Frequency
There is one train service per day, taking 8–12 hours, in each direction. The Baghdad to Basra train starts at Baghdad International RS at 8pm and arrives at Basra AlMaqal RS at 4:30 in the morning. In reverse, the Basra to Baghdad train starts at 6 pm and arrives in Baghdad at 6:15 am.

History
The line was first announced by Thierry Mariani, a French junior transport minister, at the 2011 Paris Air Show on 24 June 2011. He said that French company Alstom and the Iraqi government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding a contract to build the proposed line. Alstom will conduct exclusive talks with the Iraqi government for a year. During the announcement of the deal, Mariani also said that he planned to travel to Iraq to discuss the project later in the year. According to an Alstom spokesperson, the company planned to seek a contract that would cover the design, construction and operation of the line.

Rolling stock
In 2014, IRR received the first of an order of 10 new trains from CRRC Qingdao Sifang. The trainsets consist of two diesel-powered locomotives and eight steel bodied trailers and are specifically built to resist the high temperatures and wind-blown dust of Iraq's desert environment.

Prices
There are four categories of tickets on the line. A 2-Berth Sleeper accommodation costs 37,000 IQD or 28 Dollars. A 4-Berth option for 31,000 IQD or just under 24 USD. Second-class seating tickets in carriages with two rows of two seats each cost 10,000 IQD/8 USD and first class options will cost 15,000 IQD or just above 11 Dollars for a seat in a carriage with two rows, one with one seat and one with two. Tea, kebabs or other snacks can be purchased at the Diner-Carriage.