Shafaq News- Tehran/ Baghdad
Iran has launched its first joint rail transit shipment fromIraq to Afghanistan via the Kermanshah freight station, the country’s RailDirectorate reported on Saturday.
In remarks carried by Iran’s state news agency IRNA, AhmedTurki, director general of railways in the Arak and Kermanshah regions, saidthe shipment reflects efforts to expand international transport corridors andexpand use of underutilized capacity along Iran’s western rail axis.
‘’The shipment entered Iran from Iraq before arriving at thefreight terminal in Kermanshah, where logistical processing was completed andthe cargo transferred onto the national rail network,’’ he explained, notingthat the freight is set to move eastward across Iran via established railcorridors before continuing toward Afghanistan, ‘’marking the start of a newtransit route linking the three countries.’’
Earlier this month, Iraq disclosed that the largest bordercrossing 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 sidebecause of funding and economic constraints. In April 2023, Financial Tribunereported that Iraq had allocated $230 million as an initial installment andestimated completion within 18 months once construction advanced at full pace.
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