Shafaq News- Basra

An Iranian delegation visited Basra on Thursday to inspect progress on the Basra-Shalamcheh railway, as Baghdad moves ahead with a long-planned rail connection expected to serve large numbers of religious visitors each year.

Members of Iran's parliament and deputy ministers toured the project and discussed the steps needed to complete the link, a Shafaq News correspondent reported.

The 36-km railway will connect Basra province with Shalamcheh on the Iranian border, creating a direct passenger rail link between the two countries and facilitating travel to Iraq’s holy cities.

Iraqi officials said in June that work was advancing on the corridor, with outstanding land and infrastructure issues expected to be resolved within months.

The project has been under discussion for more than a decade and has faced repeated delays over funding, land clearance, demining and other implementation issues.

Religious travel between Iran and Iraq is substantial. More than three million Iranian pilgrims entered Iraq for Ashura in June, while nearly 4.9 million foreign visitors arrived for this year’s Arbaeen pilgrimage, many traveling overland from Iran to Karbala.