KABUL: In a significant development, the Taliban-led Afghanistan government has signed a crucial agreement with the Iranian government, focusing on the operation of the Khaf-Herat railway line, a strategic transportation link in the region.
The signing ceremony between Afghanistan Railway Authority (ARA) and Iranian Railway Consortium occurred in Kabul. The signing ceremony followed the recent completion of phase three of the railway line. Afghanistan Railway Authority has announced plans to begin work on the fourth phase soon, demonstrating progress in enhancing connectivity and trade in the region.
During the signing ceremony, Bakhtur Rahman Sharaf, the director-general of ARA, reaffirmed Afghanistan’s commitment to the expansion of the Khaf-Herat railway line. Afghanistan will provide technical assistance and locomotives to support the project, while the Iranian consortium representatives pledged to transport a minimum of 100,000 metric tons of goods on this line within the first year.
Strategic Khaf-Herat Railway Connects Iran with Afghanistan
The Khaf-Herat Railway Project is a crucial 225 km-long cross-border railway that connects eastern Iran to western Afghanistan, offering improved regional connectivity and trade opportunities. This railway aims to provide landlocked Afghanistan with access to seaports via Iran, including the Chabahar port, as part of a more extensive 2,000-kilometer-long East-West railroad.
The signing of the agreement follows a significant trade delegation from Iran’s participation in the “Meeting of the Economic Delegation of Iran and Afghanistan” in Kabul the previous day.
