Iraq Republic Railways is the national railway operator in Iraq serving Rabiya, Mosul, Bayji, Baghdad, Basra, Shouaiba Junction (near Basra), Khor Azzubair port, Umm Qasr, Ramadi, Haqlaniya, AlQaim, Husayba, Akashat and Kirkuk and other major cities and towns.
It was founded in 1905 and the first route served was between Baghdad City (formerly known as the Ottoman province Mesopotamia) and Samarra in 1914. From 1916 onwards, the invading British Military Authorities transferred all railways to a British civilian administration and called it Mesopotamian Railways.
In 1932 Iraq became independent from Britain and the British sold Mesopotamian Railways to Iraq, which renamed the company to Iraqi State Railways.
In 1958 when Iraq's Hashemite monarchy was overthrown and a republic declared, ISR was renamed Iraqi Republic Railways
Today Iraqi Republic Railways comprises 1,905 kilometers (1,184 mi) of standard gauge and the administration are planning to extend this via Khorramshahr-Basrah railway project, Kermanshah-Baghdad line as a link with northern Iraq, Deir ez-Zor Junction towards the modern Husaibah branch and other international routes. The budget set by the government and contract approvals will decide this.