BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 20
By Elnur Baghishov - Trend:
Of the 300 million euros funds planned to be allocated by the National Development Fund of Iran for the construction of the Chabahar-Zahedan railway at the Sistan and Baluchestan province in southeaster Iran, 30 million euros have already been spent, deputy director of Iran’s Construction and Development of Transportation Infrastructures Company (CDTIC) Abbas Khatibi told Trend.
According to Khatibi, the documentation for the transfer of 70 million euros has already been completed. Thus, one third of the 300 million was allocated for the construction of the Chabahar-Zahedan railway.
Khatibi added that therefore, from a financial point of view, the conditions for the construction of this railway are favorable.
"This project is very important in terms of connection of Chabahar port to the railway, improvement of the railway in the eastern direction, transit of products of landlocked CIS countries and Afghanistan by railway. The government is working to complete this railway as soon as possible,” he said.
The official said that the length of this railway is more than 700 kilometers and so far 43 percent of the construction progress has been made.
The official added that there is more than 53 percent progress in the development of the Chabahar-Zahedan railway infrastructure.
"This railway is expected to be commissioned in 2021," he said.
In Iran, the plan to connect the port of Chabahar in Sistan and Baluchestan province to Iran's Sarakhs railway and the railway of Central Asian countries is one of the important plans on the agenda.
Construction of the 720-kilometer Chabahar-Zahedan railway began in 2010. In 2014, the construction of this railway was accelerated by changing the contractor. So far, 17 trillion rials (about $ 404 million) has been spent on the construction of this railway and it is estimated that 40 trillion rials (about $ 952 million) will be required to complete it. It was reported that if this railway is put into operation, it will transport 100 million tons of cargo a year.