TEHRAN, Iran, Nov. 9
Trend:
Iranian Member of Parliament said that the Khaf-Herat railway has an important role in increasing economic relations with Central Asian countries and economic prosperity in the east of the country.
“According to the Sixth 5-year Development Plan, 30 percent of the country's freight should be transported by the rail, which requires the construction and development of the rail fleet infrastructure,” Iranian MP Mohammad Reza Sabaghian Bafghi said, Trend reports citing IRNA.
He called the support of railway projects one of the basic approaches of the parliament.
“Monitoring the implementation of the Sixth Development Plan and approving the budget required for the development of railway projects is one of the issues that has been emphasized in the parliament,” he said. “In terms of cost, the rail transport industry is very cost-effective.”
Sabaghian went on to note the need to develop transit rail lines with neighboring countries.
“The opening of the Khaf-Herat railway will play an important role in bringing the two nations of Iran and Afghanistan closer and increasing economic relations with Central Asian countries.”
Referring to the US sanctions policies against Iran in recent years, he said that "To counter such hostile policies, the development of cooperation with neighboring countries should be on the agenda."
Khaf-Herat railway which is part of the Iran-Afghanistan rail corridor connects Iran’s eastern city of Khaf to Afghanistan’s western city of Ghoryan.
The construction of the 193-kilometers-long railway, which is underway in four parts began in 2007.