Iraq to complete railway with Iran within 18 months
Trains in Iraq. Photo: Iraqi Republic Railways Company
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraq is looking forward to completing the first railway with its neighbor Iran within 18 months.
The railway will greatly contribute to facilitating the transportation of millions of visitors to Shiite shrines in Iraq every year, the Iraqi Prime Minister’s advisor for Transport Affairs, Nasser Al-Asadi, told Reuters.
The railway, which is about 30 kilometers long, extends from the city of Basra in southern Iraq to the Iranian border town of Shalamcheh, increasing ties between the two countries.
Al-Asadi elaborated that the railway is expected to be operational within approximately 18 months due to the short distance.
The Iraqi official added that the government also intends to extend a subway between Karbala and Najaf, which are the headquarters of the Shiite clerics in Iraq.
Iraq and Iran fought a bloody war that lasted eight years in the 1980s, during which a large number of mines were planted in a large part of the border area between the two countries.
Al-Asadi said that work is underway to clear the area before work begins to construct the railway.
About 20 million Shiite Muslims participate every year in commemorating the Arbaeen anniversary of Imam Hussein in the city of Karbala in Iraq.
Shiite pilgrims travel hundreds of kilometers from the Iranian-Iraqi border to Karbala, while some drive their cars or take buses crowded with passengers, which increases accidents.
Al-Asadi added that the railway will reduce the risk of road accidents and enhance Iraq’s transportation network.
This project is part of a major development plan for the transportation sector launched by the government.
This plan includes the renovation of Baghdad International Airport and a 1,200-kilometer railway and road project extending from a major port in southern Iraq to the border with Turkey.