Iran, Iraq Agree to Resume Construction of Shalamcheh-Basra Railway
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI) said on Tuesday that Iran and Iraq have agreed to resume the construction operation of the Shalamcheh–Basra Railway and relaunching of the hybrid Tehran–Karbala train.
Mi’ad Salehi, the CEO of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, in a post on his Twitter account wrote, “In the course of the joint economic commission held between Iran and Iraq on Monday and Tuesday, very good agreements were reached with the new Iraqi government in the rail sector, especially on accelerating the construction operation of the Shalamcheh–Basra Railway. The two sides also expressed their readiness for rail connection via the Khosravi Border Crossing."
It is hoped that with the acceleration of the implementation of these agreements, the two nations will benefit from the salient advantages of the project optimally, he added.
In 2014, an MoU was signed between Tehran and Baghdad for the construction of this railway, according to which, Iran undertook to design and build a bridge over the Arvand River, and the Iraqi side undertook to build a 32-kilometer railway from the Shalamcheh border to the Basra railway station on Iraqi soil.
By linking railways with Iran, Iraq is going to also access Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and the northern regions, including the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Far East.
The completion of the Shalamcheh-Basra railway can be very effective in the expansion of trade between the two countries.
