Chabahar-Zahedan rail link completed, to boost India's access to Central Asia

New Delhi: Iran has announced the completion of the strategic 730 km Chabahar-Zahedan rail link, which is expected to provide India with easier access to Afghanistan, Central Asia and eastern Russia.

This major infrastructure project, under construction for years, connects landlocked countries in Central Asia to the Indian Ocean Region and India, and will become fully operational in 3-4 months, ET has learnt.

New Delhi and Tehran have been in talks for safeguarding India's rights in the Chabahar port. The port's status was on the agenda when Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on the margins of BRICS summit.


The railway link has 33 stations, 39 tunnels and 201 bridges. Afghanistan and Central Asian nations lack a direct and efficient rail link to international maritime routes. Iranian authorities have initiated the final preparations required for full operation and are performing final safety checks for the route.

Indian government is in talks with Iran for an arrangement with a local ports authority to manage Chabahar Port, guaranteeing that this right will be transferred to India when the US sanctions are lifted, ET had reported earlier.