BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec. 25
By Elnur Baghishov – Trend:
India considers investing $300 million in the construction of Iran’s Chabahar-Zahedan railway line in the Sistan and Baluchestan (southeastern Iran), Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development of Iran and Head of the Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), Ali Akbar Safaei said, Trend reports citing PMO’s website.
The deputy minister said that the construction of the Chabahar-Zahedan railway is expected to be completed in the next two years.
Safaei added that in total, the Chabahar port has a capacity to load/unload 15 million tons of cargo annually. At present, only 3 million tons of the capacity is used. Certain steps must be taken to increase cargo loading and unloading.
“The current Iranian government (which has been in power since August 3, 2021) prioritizes the development of relations with neighboring countries. It is also necessary to further develop relations with the countries of West Asia, as well as the Caspian littoral states. Thus, the Chabahar port can help cargo transportation to neighboring countries, as well as the CIS countries,” he said.
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) have been spent on the construction of this railway, and it is estimated that 40 trillion rials (about $952 million) will be required to complete the project. After commissioning, 100 million tons of cargo will be transported by railway a year.
About 300 million euros have been allocated by the National Development Fund of Iran for the construction of the Chabahar-Zahedan railway.
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