Following Syria’s broken tracks from Baniyas to Aleppo

Leaving Baniyas

By noon, the tankers are full, and the train is ready to depart. After weighing the wagons one by one, the shipment is handed off to the crew of locomotive number 708. The loco cab is the only place available to sit on the train.

Crammed inside, the three-man crew share just a few square metres of space. The steady rhythm of the rails and the low ...