Publish dateThursday 23 January 2025 - 16:12
Story Code : 305636
Following the visit of the Iranian Railway Company official to Kabul and Herat;

The capacity of rail transit between Afghanistan and Iran is increasing

The capacity of rail transit between Afghanistan and Iran is increasing
The Deputy Director of Commercial and Operational Affairs of the Iranian Railways traveled to Herat and Kabul this week to increase the capacity of the railway route and remove existing obstacles, and met and discussed with the Governor of Herat and the Acting Minister of Industry and Trade. In these meetings, the two sides emphasized the connection of the Khaf-Herat railway line to Chabahar Port from the Iranian side and the completion of the fourth section of this route towards Afghanistan. A spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works told AVA that work on the first and second phases of the fourth section of the Khaf-Herat route is underway, and the first phase of this project has so far achieved 85 percent progress.
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Kabul: Morteza Jafari, Deputy Director of Commercial Affairs of the Iranian Railways, discussed the development of transit via railway lines between the two countries in separate meetings with the Governor of Herat and the Acting Minister of Industry and Trade of the Islamic Emirate. Although the details of these meetings have not yet been published, reports indicate that new agreements have been reached in this regard.
This is while the spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works announced in an interview with Ava that Afghanistan is directly connected to three countries in the region, including Iran, through four ports through railway lines. He added that Afghanistan is connected to Uzbekistan through the Hairatan port, the Turghandi and Aqina routes to Turkmenistan, and the Khaf-Herat route to Iran, and daily transfers are made through these routes.
 
Expansion of Afghanistan's railway lines
Mohammad Ashraf Haqshenas, spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works, referring to the expansion of railway lines in the country, said: "Afghanistan currently has nearly 400 kilometers of railway lines on main and secondary routes." He added that Afghanistan is indirectly connected to all Central Asian countries through railway lines, and sometimes transfers to countries such as Russia, China, and Turkey are made through these routes.
 
Progress of the fourth section of the Khaf-Herat project
Referring to the future plans of the Ministry of Public Works and the connection of the country's railway to Iran, Haqshenas stated that work on the first and second phases of the fourth section of the Khaf-Herat route is underway, and the first phase of this project has so far reached 85 percent progress.
He also referred to domestic projects and said: "The detailed design project to connect Herat province to Spin Boldak, Kandahar has recently been announced by the Ministry of Public Works, and relevant companies have been hired to review and study. The practical work of this project will begin after funding is secured."
Haqshenas emphasized that trade and transit through railway lines have increased significantly in the last three years and after the Islamic Emirate took control, compared to previous years.
 
The economic importance of railway lines for Afghanistan
In an interview with Ava, economic expert Shabir Bashiri considered railway lines to be the strategic depth of Afghanistan's economy and emphasized that the development of these infrastructures can turn Afghanistan into the crossroads of Asia. He added: "Afghanistan should use all its potential to develop railway lines, using the available opportunities, because without transit with regional countries, it will be difficult to achieve economic stability."
Bashiri emphasized that investing in transit infrastructure such as railway lines and choosing short and low-cost routes can increase Afghanistan's exports and strengthen the country's economic foundations.
 
New agreements and expansion of rail exchanges
The Ministry of Public Works of the Islamic Emirate has announced new agreements with Iran in the field of rail transit. Meanwhile, a shipment of 14 cement wagons and concrete parts weighing 876 tons arrived from Iran at Roznak station in Herat province on Monday, February 1.
Earlier, the CEO of the Afghanistan Railway Development Consortium said that the Roznak passenger station, located 62 kilometers from the "Shamtig" border with the Islamic Republic of Iran, is ready to operate for passenger transportation on the Herat-Khaf rail route.
According to Mustafa Rezaei, currently, with the smoothing of the process, the process of moving cargo on the Herat-Khaf railway route is being carried out continuously every week with the traffic of 2 to 4 train cars carrying export or transit cargo or equipment related to the development and equipping of the railway in Herat province.
He continued: "The Rabat Parian station is under construction 43 kilometers from the Roznak station and 105 kilometers from the Shamtig border. This station, which is located at the entrance to Herat and 20 kilometers from this city, will be put into operation next year and after completion, loading and unloading operations will be carried out at this location.
Rezaei said: Also, the Herat Airport Railway Station, as the last station on the Khaf-Herat railway route, will be put into operation in three years. With the completion of the 47-kilometer railway line from Rabat Parian station to the airport, the Herat airport and industrial town, which are 20 kilometers away from this city, will be connected to the Iranian railway network and the Khaf-Herat railway line will be completed.
https://avapress.com/vdcc1pq1e2bqxe8.-ya2.html
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