Iraq and Iran Break Ground on Historic Railway Connection

On Saturday, the Iraqi Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the construction of the first railway line connecting Iraq to the neighboring Iranian railway network, a key political ally and economic partner of Iraq.

An official from the Iraqi Ministry of Transportation told Agence France-Presse that the "Basra-Shalamcheh Project" would link the major coastal city of Basra in the southernmost part of Iraq to the Shalamcheh border crossing over a distance of more than 32 kilometers, with an estimated completion time of 18 to 24 months.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa Al-Sudani affirmed in his speech that the goal would be to "enhance Iraq's ability to communicate with neighboring countries, receive travelers coming from Iran, and countries in Central Asia."

 

 

 

 

AFP