MUDARRAJ STATION
GPS: 25.687805, 38.695658
25°41'16.09"N 38°41'44.37"E
Distance to next station south (Hedia): 17 km
Distance to next station north (Wayban): 22 km
Altitude: 445 m
Two-storey black basalt stone station building, edged in red sandstone.
TE Lawrence calls it 'Madahrij Station'
Remains of a wagon to the north (now disappeared).
Two birkas by the south wall of the station.
Small collection of stone structures, including the remains of a clay oven to the north-west of the station.
Graves on the eastern side of the station.
Double-track crossing point in front of the station.
April 1917 - Site of Lawrence’s second raid 4.5 kms south of the station (see details below).
July 1917 - Site of a raid on the line by Lt. Col. Joyce at the same location.
Piles of stones at intervals along the side of the track were originally used as protection around the base of the telegraph poles.
Mudarraj Station was constructed from black basalt stone, trimmed with red sandstone blocks sourced from the surrounding hills
Mudarraj Station from the air. The station had two small birkas (water reservoirs) to the south of the main building and a double-track crossing point to the east
Looking northwards from Mudarraj Station as the line winds its way through mountain valleys in the direction of Wayban and beyond to the major stations of AlUla and Hegra (Medain Saleh)
Looking southwards from the roof of Mudarraj Station in the direction of Hedia. TE Lawrence's second attack on the line took place at Km 1121 (measured from Damascus), 4.5 kms south of the station building
Following his attack on Abu Na'am Station, Lawrence continued up the line in April 1917 towards Mudarraj Station (he calls it Madahrij), 17 kilometres north of Hedia. The raiding party comprised 40 Juhanni tribesmen and a machine-gun crew of 13. Approaching the railway through rain and a bitter wind, they could hear the food-call of Turkish bugles at Mudarraj, below which they intended to operate. 'So we steered on the hateful noise, hateful because it spoke of supper and of tents, whereas we were shelterless, and on such a night could not hope to make ourselves a fire and bake bread from the flour and water in our saddle-bags, and consequently must go hungry'.
A line of graves to the east of Mudarraj Station bears witness to the hardships of everyday life for the garrisons of the Hejaz Railway as well as the wartime toll of defending the station against Bedouin attack