First Mashhad-Herat Passenger Train To Begin Operations Soon

The first passenger train service between Mashhad, Iran, and Herat, Afghanistan, is expected to launch within the next two weeks, an Iranian official said.

Jabbar Ali Zakeri, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development, announced the plan as part of Iran’s broader strategy to expand rail transport and boost regional connectivity.

“Plans have been made for the passenger train between Mashhad and Herat, and we anticipate that the first passenger train on this route will be launched within the next two weeks,” Zakeri said.

He added that increasing rail transit remains a key priority for Iran’s railway sector.

“The railway’s approach is to increase transit, and transit trains are given special priority within the rail network. The main goal of the railway is to expand transit across the country,” Zakeri said.

He did not provide additional details regarding the new service.

Previously, Iran’s Ministry of Roads and Urban Development announced that construction of the Rozanak-to-Herat rail line was under way, and that passenger train service would begin once the project was completed.