TEHRAN – Iran plans to complete the remaining deficiencies of the Khaf-Herat railway by August and finalize the fourth segment of the cross-border project by the end of the Iranian year in March 2026, the project manager said.

Hafez Sadatnejad told ISNA that while the railway became operational in 2020, it was designed as a four-segment route between Khaf in northeastern Iran and Herat in western Afghanistan. Two segments lie within Iran, and two within Afghanistan, with Iran responsible for building three of them.

Segment Three, which runs 62 kilometers from Shamtigh in Iran to Rozanak in Afghanistan, was constructed with Iranian financial support. However, following political changes in Afghanistan in 2021, the line suffered damages and thefts, prompting an Iranian technical team to assess the losses later that year.

"Afghanistan was tasked with restoring the line to its 2020 condition," Sadatnejad said. "While the railway had some initial shortcomings, these had to be addressed after repairing the war-related damages."

By 2023, Afghan authorities had largely resolved the issues. Iran then signed a 1.17 trillion rials ($23.4 million) contract with a domestic contractor to fix the remaining deficiencies. "By late last year, we had purchased and transported the necessary materials for connecting segments three and four, as well as a spur line. The contractor is already on site, and work will be completed by August," he said.

Transit wagons have also been purchased, and Iranian officials expect the fourth segment to be completed by March 2026.

Currently a freight line, the route is expected to be upgraded for passenger service based on ongoing talks with Afghan authorities.

Sadatnejad said the route has already facilitated the export of steel and related products to Afghanistan and the import of Afghan minerals into Iran. Initial freight capacity is projected at one million tons in the first year, rising to four million tons by year 20. Once complete, the line’s operational speed will rise from 60 km/h to between 100 and 120 km/h.

The 225-kilometer Khaf-Herat railway includes 78 kilometers in Iran and 147 kilometers in Afghanistan. Construction began in 2007, with Iran building three segments totaling 140 kilometers. The remaining 85 kilometers are Afghanistan’s responsibility.

Eighteen years in the making, the project links Herat to Iran’s rail network via Khaf in Razavi Khorasan Province. The line is considered a critical link in a broader transcontinental corridor connecting China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and eventually the Persian Gulf and Europe.

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