Syria and Lebanon have moved forward with plans to restore railway connections between the two countries, with technical teams carrying out field inspections of a proposed route linking the Lebanese port of Tripoli to Homs and Syria's wider rail network. Syrian and Lebanese delegations held technical meetings and inspected sections of the existing railway infrastructure as the two countries assess the feasibility and cost of restoring a cross-border rail connection. The inspections follow an agreement reached during talks in Damascus on Aug. 25 between Syrian Transport Minister Yarab Bader and Lebanese Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny. The Lebanese Railway and Public Transport Authority said the latest discussions focused on connecting Tripoli port with Syria's Al-Akari station, about five kilometers from the Lebanese border, before extending the route toward Homs. The teams inspected the existing railway line inside Tripoli port, where Syrian officials gave an initial positive assessment of its condition and potential for reuse. A final determination will depend on technical examinations being carried out as part of the project's feasibility studies. The delegations also visited Al-Akari station to examine the proposed connection between the Lebanese and Syrian networks. Syrian officials said differences in rail gauges between the two systems would not present a technical or operational obstacle to the project. The next phase will include detailed studies of the proposed route, expected freight volumes, economic feasibility, construction and rehabilitation costs and potential funding sources. A joint technical workshop is expected to follow once the studies are completed. The project remains at the assessment stage and construction has not yet been approved. Implementation will depend on the results of the feasibility studies and the availability of financing. If completed, the railway would connect Tripoli port through Al-Akari to Homs, providing access to other parts of Syria through the country's existing rail network. Officials have also discussed incorporating the route into a broader regional logistics corridor that could eventually connect Lebanon and Syria with Iraq, Gulf countries and Turkey. The initiative could give Syria another Mediterranean trade route as Damascus works to rehabilitate transport infrastructure damaged or neglected during more than a decade of war. For Lebanon, the project could strengthen the role of Tripoli port as a gateway for goods moving toward Syria and markets farther east. Lebanese authorities are separately examining plans to expand Tripoli's role as a regional logistics hub and improve transport links between the port and neighboring countries. Syrian Assistant Transport Minister for Land Transport Affairs Mohammad Rahhal met Rasamny in Beirut on Monday following the technical inspections. The talks focused on requirements for rehabilitating and operating the railway and on ways the project could increase transportation and commercial exchanges between Syria and Lebanon. The renewed cooperation comes as Damascus seeks to restore regional transport links and attract investment into infrastructure following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government in December 2024. Much of Syria's railway infrastructure suffered damage, neglect or disruption during the conflict, while the fragmentation of territory and deterioration of relations with neighboring countries severely reduced cross-border transport. Restoring the Tripoli-Homs route would therefore represent more than the reopening of a railway. If financing is secured and the project proves commercially viable, it could provide Syria with another route to Mediterranean shipping while helping reconnect its domestic transport network with regional markets.