Control panel in commuter car at Furn el Shebbak, 2002.
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BACKGROUND
- 1891: French concession to build Beirut-Damascus railway awarded to the
Societè des Chemins de fer Ottomans Economiques de Beyrouth-Damas-Hauran.
- 1895: Beirut-Damascus 1.05m railway opened in August.
- 1895: 1.05m coastal railway (Tramway Libanais) started which
reached Maameltein by 1908.
- 1893: Concession granted for Damascus-Aleppo railway, later
amended to Riyaq-Aleppo with a branch to Tripoli. Company name
changed to Societè des Chemins de fer Damas-Hama et
prolongements (DHP).
- 1902: Riyaq-Baalbak opened 19th June.
- 1906: Baalbak-Aleppo opened.
- 1911: Homs- Tripoli opened.
- 1917: Homs-Tripoli line removed for use elsewhere.
- 1941: British forces in Palestine start Haifa-Beirut railway
instead of proposed Haifa-Riyaq line which was abandoned as too
difficult.
- 1942: Regular military traffic Haifa-Beirut started on 24th
August.
- 1942: Beirut-Tripoli completed December 18.
- 1946: Lebanese government purchase the Naqoura-Tripoli line for
£5 million to be run by DHP.
- 1961: CEL - Chemin de Fer de l'Etat Libanais formed.
- 1976: Beirut-Damascus closed by civil war.
- 1993: Commuter service Dowra-Jbeil closes.
- 1997. Last cement train from Chekka to Beirut.
- 2002: The Polish diesel locomotive for the Chekka cement train
still being run in its shed at the Furn el Shebbak stockyards
once a month.
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