Section-3 of Khwaf-Herat Railroad, part of Iran-Afghanistan rail corridor, has made 80% progress, according to a delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways which recently visited Herat Province.
The 137-kilometer railroad project, the construction of which started in the fiscal 2007-8, has four sections, two of which (76 kilometers long) have already been completed on the Iranian territory, the news portal of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development reported.
When completed, the rail route will be connected to the Central Asian and Chinese rail networks. This is estimated to considerably increase the volume of transit as well as passenger transportation in the region.
The corridor in its entirety, from Herat, Afghanistan’s third-largest city, to Khwaf, in Iran’s northeastern Khorasan Razavi Province, will connect Iranian mines to those of Afghanistan, while also connecting Afghan reserves to the international waters in southern Iran.
This will be Afghanistan’s first railroad link to Iran and the country’s only link to the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman.
“Upon completion, the railroad will be used for transportation of both passengers and cargo. However, exploiting its cargo capabilities is a priority for both governments,” Reza Ahmadi with Iran’s Roads Ministry said.
Ahmadi believes the railroad will have the capacity of transporting 27 million tons of cargo a year.
