Najim al-Jubour said on Sunday that Turkish companies will be involved in the operation to build the key railway between Mosul’s downtown and the Turkish border, Press TV reported.

Jubour told the semi-official Iraqi newspaper Al Sabaah that the railway is aimed at reducing the burden on road transportation between the two countries.

There was no mention of the costs of the project and when it will be ready to use although the governor said some modern technologies will be used in the construction of the railway.

A senior Iraqi official says construction is to begin for a rail line linking the country to Iran.

Mosul, once a major regional trade center, has become increasingly frequented by Turkish businesses in recent years. The city and the surrounding province of Nineveh have been emerging from years of devastating militancy by the ISIS terrorists.

Turkish authorities also said on Sunday that they will reopen their consulate in Mosul in the near future. Mehmet Kucuksakalli, the appointed Turkish consul for Mosul, said everything was nearly ready to reopen the consulate after six years of closure.

“We have rented a building for our consulate. We prepared a security plan and carried out some renovation work,” Kucuksakalli said.

Turkey had opened and interim office in Mosul to process visa applications in July.

Reporter’s code: 50101