Amman - The governments of Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Syria on Thursday signed an agreement for conducting a joint feasibility study on upgrading the century-old Hijaz Railway linking the three countries.

The accord was signed by Jordanian Transport Minister Alaa Batayneh and his Saudi and Syrian counterparts, Jobara Soraisri and Yarob Badr.

Officials from the three countries, which have an agreement dating back to 1966 governing the joint administration of the railway, were meeting on the issue for the first time in seven years.

The Hijaz Railway, which was started up in 1908 by the Ottoman government for carrying Muslim pilgrims to the holy city of Mecca, "is old and needs rehabilitation to meet modern international railway standards," Batayneh said in remarks to reporters.

The rail is currently used for ferrying passengers and transporting goods between Amman and Damascus, but only a small segment of the line is still in use.(dpa)