Afghan and Iranian officials, during a meeting in Tehran, discussed the development of railway cooperation and emphasized the acceleration of the Herat–Mazar-e-Sharif railway project. Both sides underscored their commitment to jointly implementing this important infrastructure initiative.
Mohammad Ashraf Haqshenas, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works, announced on his X page that, during meetings between a high-level delegation of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Works and Iranian officials, the two sides discussed technical specifications, construction standards, operational phases, financial structuring, and the mechanisms of participation by companies from both countries in the 657 kilometer Herat–Mazar e Sharif railway project.
The meeting also resulted in an agreement to continue technical coordination and to convene future expert-level meetings to accelerate the implementation of the project.
Officials from both countries described the Herat–Mazar-i-Sharif railway project as one of the most significant economic corridors in the region, capable of linking Afghanistan through Iran to Türkiye and extending to Central Asia and China.
According to officials, the completion of this railway line, in addition to enhancing regional connectivity, will create the potential to generate billions of Afghanis in transit revenue for Afghanistan and will play an important role in the country’s economic growth.
The Ministry of Public Works of Afghanistan emphasized that efforts to attract and secure funding for this project from both domestic and foreign sources are ongoing.
