Iran debuts first Iraq-Afghanistan combined rail transit route
Iran launched its first combined rail transit shipment from Iraq to Afghanistan via the country's western railway corridor and the Kermanshah freight station, marking a step toward expanding international transport corridors and increasing the share of rail in regional transit.
Ahmad Torki, director general of the Arak and Kermanshah Railway Region, told IRNA on Saturday that the shipment entered Iran through the country's western border crossings and was transferred to the national rail network after logistical procedures at the Kermanshah freight station.
"This shipment will be transported via Iran's rail lines to the eastern borders and its final destination of Afghanistan," he said.
According to ISNA, the cargo was the first transit shipment of fuel to enter Iran from Iraq under a combined transport scheme before being forwarded to Afghanistan after customs procedures at the inland customs office in Sanandaj.
The first diesel shipment arrived from Iraq through the Bashmaq border crossing and, under the combined transport method, was transferred from tanker trucks to rail before being transported to Afghanistan via the Sanandaj inland customs office, ISNA reported.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) said the transit method was being implemented for the first time as part of the Economy Ministry's policy of strengthening the customs authority's role in facilitating trade and transit.
The IRICA said it introduced the combined transport method for goods in transit after assuming responsibility for border management, adding that the initiative had been welcomed by the private sector because it reduced costs and made better use of rail transport capacity.
Torki told IRNA that the operation marked a milestone in activating the underutilized capacity of Iran's western railway corridor and expanding international rail transit.