KABUL: The first direct freight train on the Beijing–Iran–Afghanistan route has begun operations, delivering 500 tons of cargo to Herat province via Iran’s railway network, Iranian media reported.
Mostafa Rezaei, head of the Iran–Afghanistan Railway Corridor, said the shipment is the first time cargo has been transported directly from China to Afghanistan without being unloaded and reloaded along the route.
The shipment consists of fiberboard panels loaded in Beijing, he said, adding that the train traveled through Turkmenistan and Iran before reaching Rozanak Station in Herat province via the Khaf–Herat railway.
He said the new transport corridor is expected to significantly reduce both transit time and shipping costs.
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) has stated that cargo transit to Afghanistan through the Chabahar, Bandar Abbas, and Jebel Ali ports has been suspended following recent tensions in the Middle East, raising concerns over supply delays and higher import costs.
Afghanistan has been seeking to expand regional transit corridors to diversify its trade routes as ongoing security tensions continue to disrupt imports through traditional seaports.
500 tons of Chinese goods delivered to Herat by direct rail route
