According to IRAF News Agency, citing the newsletter of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs of the Taliban, published today (Tuesday, December 30), the head of Iran’s railway authority emphasized the strategic geopolitical importance of Afghanistan and stated that Tehran is interested in expanding its rail network through Afghanistan to connect China to Europe via this route.
He noted that this corridor could become one of the key transit routes in the region.
Abdul-Ghani Baradar, referring to discussions he had three years ago with Iran’s Vice President regarding the economic value of this project, called for the formation of a joint committee as soon as possible and urged that the project’s implementation begin without delay.
Khaf–Herat Route Sets a Record
These diplomatic and technical efforts come as the Herat–Khaf railway line recently set a new record in cargo transport.
According to a report by the media office of the Taliban governor in Herat, for the first time, more than 4,800 tons of commercial goods were transported in a single day via this railway line—a capacity indicating that the route can handle over 120,000 tons per month and more than 1.5 million tons annually.
Experts consider this development a major step for regional trade and transit. The route could play an increasingly important role in the regional railway network by reducing transportation costs, boosting exports, and strengthening the economies of both countries.
Previously, the head of Iran’s railway authority held talks in Kabul with Abdul Karim Fateh and Mohammad Es’haq Sahibzadeh, deputies of the Taliban’s Ministry of Public Works.
In that meeting, both sides emphasized the need to strengthen transit cooperation, expand rail transport capacity, and accelerate the operationalization of the Khaf–Herat route.
Taliban officials called for Iran to play a greater role in improving and completing the remaining sections of Afghanistan’s railway projects, and the head of Iran’s railway authority expressed Tehran’s readiness to expand technical, operational, and commercial cooperation in rail transport.
These discussions are part of the expanding cooperation between the two countries in the field of transit infrastructure.
