Iran in talks with the Taliban to resume ambitious rail project

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Tehran, Iran – Iran held talks with the Taliban to continue the construction of an ambitious train project which ultimately aims to connect at least five Central Asian countries, according to an Iranian official.

Iran is ready to invest further and both parties are willing to finish construction on the train that connects the KHA in Northeast Iran with Herat in northwest Afghanistan, according to Iran’s official Transit Abbas Khatibi.

Khatibi, Deputy Head of Construction and Development of Iranian Transportation Infrastructure Companies, quoted by the Tasnim News website said that the project could increase trade and reduce transit costs.

This train line can also connect Afghanistan to the southern port of Iran,” he said, adding that when it was completely completed, the project was finally able to carve the path that connected China to Turkey.

This project is part of the five-year-old Five-Country Railroad corridor (FNRC) which will run through China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Iran with an estimate of 2,000 km (1,242 miles).

More than half the project was proposed for Afghanistan, running through several provinces, including Kunduz and Herat.

The first part of the Khaf-Herat train four parts was inaugurated in December 2020 and connected Khaf with the city of Rozakan Afghanistan around 150 km (93 miles).

But planning to complete the line and expand its reach to the third largest Herat city in Afghanistan thrown towards the former Afghan government collapsed in the midst of a chaotic road in the United States and West troops in August.

Khatibi, Iranian officials, said the KHAF-Herat project is expected to cost 4.3 trillion Rials (around $ 17 million), and that Iran has made a proposal with “various investment methods” without further outlines.

He also said the railway line – which runs for 225 km, including in Iran – will have the capacity to transport up to one million passengers and six million tons of goods every year.

Khatibi said the 657km tracks in Afghanistan between Herat and Mazar-i-Sharif are currently the biggest “lost link” in the overall project, and if completed, it will indicate the main transformation in regional transformation.

Iran has become Afghan’s best trading partner in recent years and is the main provider of fuel to the East neighbor.

But Iran has not officially recognized the Taliban as an Afghan government, with the administration of President Ebrahim Risi said that would depend on the formation of “inclusive” in Afghanistan.

A 26-member Taliban delegation visited Iran last month. Taliban have not commented on the proposed railroad project.

The Taliban has appealed to the international community to recognize what is called the Islamic Emirates for facing diplomatic isolation. Western sanctions mean that the country has been cut off from international financial institutions and assistance has fallen into droplets in countries where more than half the population faces food insecurity.