For many different reasons and through out time, Lebanese have scattered around the four corners of the planet. Spreading the borders of our country as far as its Diaspora. As a Lebanese who was born in Ecuador it is an honor to address the Lebanese Diaspora, as one of them.
Many of us left Lebanon in search for things we couldn’t find our country, it’s about time to bring those missing elements to our beloved nation.
You don’t know how great our country once was until you dig into the history of its railways. Once you do, you will understand what is missing.
Following the Civil War, the Lebanese people became the victims of national paralysis. Not only were the railways closed down, but also the history of our trains was left to decay over time.
I am writing to you today to ask you to support our mission to resuscitate the Lebanese Railway System through our NGO Train/Train.
Who we are:
A group of enterprising Lebanese got together on a mission to save the past and build the future of the Lebanese railways. More than a decade of research and hard work have led to the following ambitious projects. 
Our Projects
BBR -‐ Byblos Batroun Rail:
After many years of research, Train/Train NGO concluded that only a ‘real success story’ can revitalize the Lebanese railways and get the public involved in the process!
35 years ago, the railway in Lebanon was closed down. Whereas one half of the population doesn’t even know that we used to have trains, the other half has lost all hope that the railways will ever run again in Lebanon.
In order to reintroduce the idea of the travel by rail, Train/Train proposed 
the restoration of a 17.3 km long line between Byblos & Batroun, a good start toward the revival of the railways of Lebanon. This is a relatively long stretch and includes 3 major stations, 4 bridges, and 1 tunnel.
Train/Train has already completed the feasibility study for this project and, once given the green light by the government, we can restore this line with a running locomotive, including several wagons, in mere 4 month period.
Center for Archives, Documentation and Research (C.A.D.R):
The rehabilitation of the Lebanese railway system and the preservation of its heritage require a rigorous research process, based on the existing archival collections. The restoration of these railway archives requires that Train/Train create a center for research and archives in one of the buildings of the Beirut railway station in Mar Mikhael.
Heritage and Preservation:
As the saying goes, “Trains are built by men, cities are built by trains.” Unfortunately, today our cities are confronted with mere relicts and the memories of past railway glory. Train/Train is seeking to preserve our stations and trains in various parks and historical museums. This is part of our preservation program that could inspire the introduction of a new railway system.
Walk in the Path of Iron:
To discover the richness of our inherited railroad landmarks, Train/Train envisions the creation of hiking trails along the rails, from station to station, to raise public awareness of the existence 402 km of railways in Lebanon with only 10km of encroachments.
The Youth Program:
Photo exhibitions, lectures, happenings, and workshops are the tools Train/Train NGO is using to empower young people in Lebanon and make them part of our mission.
Finally I would like to thanks the online Magazine “The Lebanese Heritage” for giving me the opportunity to get in contact with all of you and I am grateful to the WLCU in British Columbia and to WLCU National council in France for their tremendous support.
Elias Maalouf
Contact us:
Phone: +961 3 212885
Email: [email protected] [email protected]
Website: www.rayakrailway.org www.traintrainlebanon.org
Twitter: TrainTrainleb
Facebook: Train/Train Lebanon