Iran begins rail laying operation of strategic railway in southwestern province

Chabahar, Nov 4, IRNA – The rail laying operation of the strategically-important Chabahar-Zahedan railway began in a ceremony in southwestern Iran on Wednesday. The ceremony was participated by the minister of urban development, vice-speaker of the parliament and the commander of Khatam al-Anbia base, which is Iran’s leading contractor. Ahmad Nozari, an official with the Ministry of Urban Development, told IRNA correspondent that some 16,000 billion rials have been spent on developing nearly 43 percent of the project so far which he said will be inaugurated in the near future. Once the project is operational, Afghanistan can use the railway to send its mineral and agricultural products to Chabahar Port to carry them to other countries. Afghanistan is a landlocked country. It is highly significant for the country to connect to Iran’s Chabahar Port which provides access for Afghanistan to free waters.