The Minister of Public Works and Transport in the caretaker government, Ali Hamiyeh, and the Minister of Culture, Judge Muhammad Wissam Al-Murtada, along with the Italian Ambassador Nicoletta Bombardieri, Chairman of the Board of the Public Transport and Railways Authority Ziad Nasr, and a delegation from the UN Habitat program, visited the project of restoring and rehabilitating part of the railway station in Mar Mikhael. Hamiyeh delivered a speech in which he affirmed that "activating the railway authority is one of the goals of the Lebanese government, even during the caretaker period," stating, "Today’s topic is primarily cultural."
He added, "After the catastrophe of August 4, the Ministry of Culture conducted various communications, meetings, and conferences regarding this, considering that the Mar Mikhael area is historically significant. Consequently, the Ministry of Culture has taken upon itself to restore part of the residential surroundings and part of the railway authority and public transport famously known as Mar Mikhael station, in cooperation with the Italian embassy and UN Habitat."
He noted that "the public transport and railway authority is a strategic interest for Lebanon, especially amid the geopolitical fluctuations in the region." He said, "We are working on reviving transport lines through the station and connecting it with multiple international parties, based on four pillars: first, surveying the rail line; second, finding technical solutions to encroachments; third, conducting an economic feasibility study for the railways and how to attract investments for its establishment; and fourth, the strategic goal of the railway and how it will serve Lebanon, connecting it with the facilities from Rafic Hariri International Airport - Beirut to the Port of Beirut."
He emphasized that "the railway is irreversible," stating, "We will start with the first building block for it, and subsequent governments will continue the journey."
For his part, Al-Murtada indicated that "every developmental work, especially under the current conditions, has a cultural dimension in one way or another." He stated, "I am personally here to say that all Lebanese, at every occasion with a developmental, cultural, or any other dimension, should take it as a checkpoint to proclaim that they are steadfast, unshaken from their convictions by even a fraction."
He added, "The railway, personally, concerns me both as a minister and as a Lebanese citizen primarily; it was established in 1890, and at its 100th anniversary, between 1993-1994, the political authority decided that Lebanon did not need a railway." He continued, "Apart from its geopolitical dimension, the railway remains a means to strengthen the bonds among Lebanese and to shorten distances for the people of the north to come to Beirut, for example, and for the people of Beirut and the coast to head to the Bekaa."
He asserted, "We look forward to the railway regaining its function with determination and strength; this place where we are has been affected by the Beirut port explosion and has a heritage aspect. We will work with the Ministry of Public Works and donor agencies, supported by the Italian embassy, to restore the heritage buildings and utilize them as a meeting space for the people of Gemmayzeh and Beirut. We want the station to later play its functional role in welcoming all visitors." He concluded, "We will hold a meeting to finalize touches to start the project, which will also include, aside from the restoration of heritage buildings, a section for a museum and another for visual artists."
Nasr pointed out that "this project is part of the ongoing cooperation and coordination between the Ministry of Culture and the railway authority following the severe damage inflicted on the authority's buildings, facilities, and assets as a result of the Beirut port explosion." He noted that "the aim of this project is to revive the history and heritage of the railway through the restoration and rehabilitation of part of the damaged buildings and carriages at the Mar Mikhael station to preserve them and highlight their historical value and heritage character."
