Saddam's private train goes back on the tracks

IRAQI railway officials have revealed that Saddam Hussein's personal train is to return to service. Starting next month, the 23-carriage train will carry passengers from Baghdad to the southern city of Basra.

Saddam used the luxurious train only once, in the late 1970s shortly after becoming president, for a trip to Basra.

The train's carriages are air-conditioned and equipped with TV screens, officials said. Windows are draped with Italian-made curtains, and chandeliers hang from the ceilings.

Some compartments served as offices, including a library, while others were furnished as living rooms. The train also has several restaurants and luggage compartments.

It has been kept at a secret site in Baghdad and was protected from looting following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.