Tehran, May 7 (MRUD NEWS)—Heads of Iran and Iraq Railways signed a MoU for implementation of Shalamcheh-Basra Railway in the Iranian consulate in Basra. 

Miad Salehi, head of Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI), visited the project following earlier agreement and negotiations held last month for starting the project after almost 17 months since the agreement was signed.  

In this visit, the railway officials of the two countries paid visit to the Shalamcheh Border, the new passenger platform built at the Shalamcheh Border, the route from the Border to the Shatt al-Arab (Arvand River), the lands on both sides of the River (including Sinbad Island) at the construction site of the Bridge over the River as well as the construction site of Basra new railway station.

According to RAI, after the negotiations that lasted for about 6 hours, the two parties agreed on the exact route of the railway line from Shalamcheh to the Arvand River and from the River to the relevant train station, the timing of implementing the construction of Shalamcheh-Basra Railway, including the timing of demining operations, the timing of constructing the railway line from Shalamcheh to Arvand River, and the delivery of land for the construction of the bridge.

The construction map was also signed by the technical deputies of the parties as an attachment to the MoU.

Earlier in April, Razak Muhibis Al-Saadawi, Iraq Minister of Transport, at the head of a delegation visited Iran Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Mehrdad Bazrpash, and his deputies in Tehran, in order to confer on mutual transport ties particularly implementation of Shalamcheh-Basra Railway. The two sides had signed the agreement for Shalamcheh-Basra Railway on 26 December 2021.