French powdered milk was delivered to the Afghan city of Herat. It marks the first-ever instance of European freight making its way to Afghanistan via rail. The railway in question is not yet completely finished, however, but has significant potential for trade turnover growth.
The powdered milk was first transported to Iran, from where it continued its journey into Afghanistan via the Khaf-Herat railway, reports Iranian publication Tasnim News. In total, there were eight wagons of French produce on board.
The Khaf-Herat railway is the only cross-border line between Iran and Afghanistan. Its construction started in 2007, with Iran taking on responsibility for three out of four sections, including one on the Afghan side of the border. Afghanistan never managed to finish the section that it agreed to build, so the railway fell short of reaching Herat.
Highlighted is the (incomplete) Afghan section of the Khaf–Herat railway. Image: © Iranian Railways
Recently, Iran and Afghanistan agreed to “speed up” works on the railway. By September of this year, the two countries aim to restore the existing infrastructure to an acceptable level for “mechanised rail operations”.
If the full-length railway becomes operational, it could allow for three million tonnes of import and export freight annually, as well as 1,7 million tonnes of transit, according to Tasnim News.