Syria: An Economic Survey 



Length 



Bagdad Railway in mi. Gauge Opened in 



Islahiyeh-Muslimiyeh-Aleppo 88 143.5 1912-1914 



Muslimiyeh-Jerabulus (Euphrates) . . 58 143.5 1912 



Toprak Kaleh-Alexandretta 37 143.5 1913 



183 



Companies founded with 



French capital: 



1. Societe Ottomane du Chemin de Fer 

 Damas-Hama et Prolongements. 

 Beirut ( Harbor )-Rajak-Damascus ... 92 105 1895 



Damascus-M'zerib 63 105 1895 



Eajak-Aleppo 206 143.5 1902-1906 



Tripoli-Horns 63 143.5 1911 



424 



2. Societe des Tramways libanais. 



Beirut-Mamilten 12 105 1898 



12 



3. Societe Ottomane du Chemin de Fer 



Jaffa-Jerusalem 54 100 1891-1892 



54 

 Total 1,262 



At the beginning of the war the Turkish Government took 

 over the French railways. The rails from Jaffa to Lydda on the 

 Jaffa- Jerusalem Railway were torn up and used in the construction 

 of the Jenin-Lydda, Wadi-Serar-Beersheba-Hafir lines. Besides, 

 the gauge from Lydda to Jerusalem was changed from 100 to 105 

 cm. The Syrian railway system is poor compared with that of 

 European countries, but far more developed than that of any other 

 part of Asia Minor. 



The Jaffa- Jerusalem Railway was opened in 1892 and proved 

 so unprofitable at first that it had to be shut down for a while. 

 Since then the traffic has increased considerably. The gross profits, 

 51,949 francs in 1895, had risen to 1,388,755 francs in 1911. 



76 



