TEHRAN, Iran, Feb. 21
Trend:
Iran-Afghanistan to connect the Khaf-Herat railway to China, Deputy Transport and Urban Development Minister Abbas Khatibi announced, Trend reports citing Mehr News Agency.
"In addition to connect Iran's rail network to Europe, the new Khaf-Herat railroad will link the country's southern ports to Central Asian countries, the Caucasus, Iraq and even China," Abbas Khatibi noted.
The former government of Afghanistan was seriously seeking to connect the Khaf-Herat railway to the Hairatan border, and from Uzbekistan national rail network to China, he added.
According to the Iranian official, the Khaf-Herat line is part of the much bigger East-West Railway Corridor project which extends from China to Europe through Iran and Afghanistan.
Iran and Afghanistan have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with five other countries that are in the way of the East-West corridor and further negotiations are still ongoing in this regard.
The 193-kilometers-long Khaf-Herat is part of the Iran-Afghanistan rail corridor. The project started in the fiscal year of 2007-2008, connects Iran’s eastern city of Khaf to Afghanistan’s western city of Ghoryan.