Iran is fast moving to complete the construction of a railway that connects it with the neighbouring Afghanistan with Tehran setting eyes to launch the railroad by 20 March 2020.
“Khaf-Herat railway is one of the biggest projects that we are keen on getting it launched by the end of the Persian year [that ends 20 March 2020],” said Abbas Khatibi, Deputy for Construction of Railways, Ports an Airports at Construction and Development of Transportation Infrastructures Company (CDTIC).
Iran is committed to build 139 kilometers of the 190-km railroad that connects the Iranian city of Khaf, in Razavi Khorasan Province, to the Afghan city of Herat.
The infrastructure was financed from the Iranian government’s aid fund for Afghanistan, earmarked in 2003 and 2004.
The remaining 60 kilometres need to be built by the cash-strapped Afghanistan.
The road will connect the landlocked Afghanistan to the high seas through the Iranian railways that go down to Zahedan, close to the port city of Chabahar, which has turned into the new lifeline for the Afghan economy.
Afghanistan will also be linked to Central Asia, Russia, Turkey and finally Europe.