Iranian officials have announced that the first direct transit shipment from China, transported without unloading or reloading along the route, has arrived at Rozanak Station in Afghanistan’s Herat Province via Turkmenistan and Iran’s railway network. However, Taliban officials have so far made no statement regarding the arrival of the train in Herat.
Mostafa Rezaei, Director of the Iran–Afghanistan Railway Corridor, said the shipment consisted of 500 tonnes of MDF boards, which were loaded in Beijing and entered Iran after passing through Turkmenistan.
According to him, the train then continued through the Khaf–Herat railway line and reached Rozanak Station. Rezaei added that this was the first direct rail freight transfer from Beijing to Herat via Iran, with the cargo transported throughout the entire route without any unloading or reloading.
The Director of the Iran–Afghanistan Railway Corridor further stated that the use of combined maritime and rail transportation for this shipment had reduced both transit time and transportation costs compared with previous routes.
He emphasized that the launch of this route marks the entry of the Khaf–Herat railway into a new phase of commercial and transit development and could contribute to increasing the volume of trade passing through the corridor.
Rezaei also noted that an increase in the volume of goods transported along this route could strengthen Iran’s position as a key connectivity link between East Asia, Central Asia, and Afghanistan.
Construction of the Khaf–Herat railway began in 2007, and the first three sections of the project, covering 140 kilometres, have so far been completed and made operational. The railway has a total planned length of approximately 225 kilometres and was designed in four sections. According to current plans, the fourth section of the project will connect Rozanak Station to the city of Herat.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
