BAGHDAD: Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Saturday inaugurated construction work on a significant railway project that will establish the first-ever rail connection between Iraq and neighboring Iran, a pivotal partner for the region.
The project, named the “Basra-Chalamja connection project,” will link the major port city of Basra in southern Iraq to Iran’s extensive railway network through the Chalamja border crossing, as stated by a transport ministry official. The estimated timeframe for completing this ambitious project is “between 18 and 24 months.”
The primary objective of this railway connection is to facilitate the transportation of “travelers from the Islamic Republic of Iran and Central Asian countries” to holy cities, declared Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani during his speech at the inauguration ceremony.
He underscored that discussions surrounding the project had been ongoing for several years before culminating in an agreement in 2021.
During the inaugural event, Prime Minister Sudani and Iran’s First Vice-President, Mohammad Mokhber, laid a symbolic foundation stone, signifying the commencement of construction.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Thanks Iran
PM Sudani expressed gratitude to Tehran for planning demining operations at the border, which will clear the path for the railway line, as well as for the construction of a railway bridge over the waterway where the rivers converge before flowing into the Gulf.
Mokhber hailed this project as “strategic” and announced its expected completion “over the next two years,” as reported by Iranian state media.
According to Iran’s official IRNA news agency, half of the 32 kilometers (20 miles) of rail tracks planned for the project will be located on the Iranian side of the border.
Prime Minister Sudani’s government has actively pursued the formation of an increasing number of regional partnerships. In May, Baghdad unveiled a $17-billion initiative known as the “Route of Development,” which encompasses a road and railway extending 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) from Iraq’s northern border with Turkey, further enhancing connectivity in the region.
