Majlis Approves Iran-Afghanistan Rail Cooperation Bill

Iran’s Majlis passed Iran-Afghanistan Rail Cooperation Agreement that allows railway connection between the two neighboring countries. According to the agreement, the two sides have agreed to provide rail vehicles and services and implement sanitary supervision in accordance with international rules. The agreement also obliges Tehran and Kabul to treat passengers and goods from the other side the way they treat their own. This applies to free access to destination points, providing space for cargos in terminals, uploading and unloading of cargos, onboarding and offboarding passengers, and using international railroad services. The Islamic Republic of Iran Railways and Afghanistan Railway Authority are qualified to supervise implementing the agreement.

In relevant remarks in last December, Iranian Roads and Urban Development Minister Mohammad Eslami said that the newly-inaugurated Khaf-Herat railway between Iran and Afghanistan can annually transfer 6mln tons of cargos and 1mln passengers. Eslami made the remarks on Thursday, addressing the inauguration ceremony of Khaf-Herat railway project on December 10, 2020 held through videoconference. He underlined that the railway has the capacity of transporting six million tons of cargo and also one million passengers annually. - Fars