Shafaq News – Basra 

Work on the Basra–Shalamcheh railway project, aimed at transporting passengers and pilgrims between Iraq and Iran, will begin by the end of 2025, Iraqi Transport Minister Razzaq Al-Saadawi said on Sunday.

In a statement, Al-Saadawi confirmed that the end of the current month has been set as the final deadline to receive the project’s first seven-kilometer section, paving the way for construction to proceed once the Iraqi State Railway Company completes all required administrative and technical procedures.

The Basra–Shalamcheh railway is a 36-kilometer cross-border line linking southern Iraq with Iran under a contract awarded to Spain’s Imathia Construction. It is Iraq’s first direct rail connection with Iran, launched in September 2023, and has been presented by Iraqi authorities as a passenger-focused project intended to ease pilgrim movement. However, differing views persist over its broader economic and commercial implications, including potential effects on Iraqi ports.

Read more: Iraq-Iran railway project raises questions about port futures