by george matthews
Al Jazeera strand "Witness" featured a driver of the train that runs between Baghdad and Basra. I took this train many years ago when it was a day train, but that was before the Kuwait war.
Views of the carriages show that they have acquired some reasonably modern ones in a good state of repair. The train now runs at night. I am not sure if there are sleeping compartments. I think it is daily. The film follows the driver who has spent 40 years with the railway and once drove Saddam's "royal" train.
The view of the tracks shows a poor state of repair, but it also shows workers doing their best, even in Falluja station where the service is still suspended. They are clearing the tracks, hoping for a resumption of service. The station itself was used by the Americans as a local base but they have left now so it can be cleaned up.
Baghdad Central station seems to have survived (it was built by the British).
In Basra station there were views of tanker wagons, suggesting there is now a freight service.
After the invasion service was totally suspended and when it resumed it was with carriages that lacked windows. So what I saw in this programme shows there has been some improvement since those dark days.
Views of the carriages show that they have acquired some reasonably modern ones in a good state of repair. The train now runs at night. I am not sure if there are sleeping compartments. I think it is daily. The film follows the driver who has spent 40 years with the railway and once drove Saddam's "royal" train.
The view of the tracks shows a poor state of repair, but it also shows workers doing their best, even in Falluja station where the service is still suspended. They are clearing the tracks, hoping for a resumption of service. The station itself was used by the Americans as a local base but they have left now so it can be cleaned up.
Baghdad Central station seems to have survived (it was built by the British).
In Basra station there were views of tanker wagons, suggesting there is now a freight service.
After the invasion service was totally suspended and when it resumed it was with carriages that lacked windows. So what I saw in this programme shows there has been some improvement since those dark days.
