The Damascus to Medina section of the Ottoman railway network was initially intended to connect Istanbul and Hejaz, the Islamic holy city of Mecca, but construction was interrupted by World War I, reaching only Medina 400 kilometers short of Mecca. The railway aimed to improve economic and political integration of Arabian provinces into the Ottoman state and facilitate military transportation. The completed Damascus to Medina section was 1,300 kilometers (810 miles) long. The railway was a significant part of the Ottoman Empire's railway network.

Below is an old photo of the Hejaz railways.