Iran initiates Iraq-to-Afghanistan joint rail freight

Shafaq News- Tehran/ Baghdad

Iran has launched its first joint rail transit shipment from Iraq to Afghanistan via the Kermanshah freight station, the country’s Rail Directorate reported on Saturday.

In remarks carried by Iran’s state news agency IRNA, Ahmed Turki, director general of railways in the Arak and Kermanshah regions, said the shipment reflects efforts to expand international transport corridors and expand use of underutilized capacity along Iran’s western rail axis.

‘’The shipment entered Iran from Iraq before arriving at the freight terminal in Kermanshah, where logistical processing was completed and the cargo transferred onto the national rail network,’’ he explained, noting that the freight is set to move eastward across Iran via established rail corridors before continuing toward Afghanistan, ‘’marking the start of a new transit route linking the three countries.’’

Earlier this month, Iraq disclosed that the largest border crossing with Tehran is set to open ahead of the Islamic month of Muharram, while reporting major progress in the 36-kilometer Basra-Shalamcheh railway. First proposed in 2018, the scheme has faced repeated delays on the Iraqi side because of funding and economic constraints. In April 2023, Financial Tribune reported that Iraq had allocated $230 million as an initial installment and estimated completion within 18 months once construction advanced at full pace.

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