Iran-China Rail Link via Afghanistan Proposed to Facilitate Goods Transit

TEHRAN (Iran News) The proposed “Herat–Mazar-e-Sharif–Wakhan” railway line is described as a strategic project that would connect China by rail to Europe and West Asia via Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey, playing a significant role in expanding regional and global trade and transit.

Earlier this month, the rail connection and its economic and investment significance were discussed during a meeting between Afghanistan’s acting deputy minister of public works and the CEO of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways.

Experts have stressed the importance of strengthening rail links with neighboring countries, noting that enhancing freight connectivity with China has become a necessity.

Since the beginning of the current Iranian year, more than 63 freight trains from China bound for Iran and the European Union have entered the country, compared with just seven trains operating on the route last year. The signing of six-party memorandums of understanding to establish unified tariffs along the corridor is expected to further activate the southern branch of the East–West corridor passing through Iran.

Officials estimate that, following agreements among six countries along the China–Europe route, annual train traffic could rise to 300 trains.

Shahriar Naghi-Zadeh, Director General of International Commerce at the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, said the company has proposed an initiative aimed at improving trade and transport relations between Iran and China.

Under the plan, the Iran–China rail link would pass through Afghanistan using standard gauge tracks (1,435 mm), resolving transit bottlenecks at China’s borders with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

Naghi-Zadeh explained that the project is designed to allow trains to travel directly from China to Europe without the need to change bogies or transfer cargo between wide-gauge and standard-gauge wagons.

The proposal has reportedly been welcomed by the parties involved, and technical studies are currently underway to assess investment requirements.

The project includes constructing a 64-kilometer rail segment to Herat and extending the line to Mazar-e-Sharif, ultimately connecting through Afghanistan’s Wakhan region to China’s Xinjiang province. The route is considered geographically challenging, and in addition to Iranian firms, Afghan companies have expressed readiness to participate in construction.

According to Naghi-Zadeh, developing Afghanistan’s rail network on a standard gauge would not only offer economic benefits but also strengthen Afghanistan’s integration with Iran’s rail system.

Officials say the new route would offer significant time and cost advantages compared to existing corridors, which currently require transshipment at two points — the China–Kazakhstan border and the Turkmenistan–Iran border. Transshipment, the transfer of cargo to an intermediate destination before reaching its final destination, increases both transit time and costs.

If implemented, the project is expected to reduce transport distances between China and Iran by around 50 percent and enable direct freight train operations to Europe, potentially transforming regional rail transport and boosting trade ties between Tehran and Beijing. “Iran-China”

Earlier, Jabar Ali Zakeri, CEO of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, announced the formation of a new cargo and transit corridor to Afghanistan. He noted that rail exports and transit from Iran to Afghanistan totaled 15,000 tons during the first eight months of the previous year, compared with 570,000 tons in the first 10 months of the current year. “Iran-China”

Zakeri added that rail exports and transit to Afghanistan reached 94,000 tons in the Iranian month of Dey and are expected to surpass 120,000 tons in Bahman. Projections for the next year indicate volumes could reach three million tons, including transit of goods from the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Russia.