Monitoring Desk: Iran will operationalize the Chabahar–Zahedan Railway track by December 31, 2026, to connect Afghanistan with seawater through a road link. Iran swiftly completed the project at the request of the Afghan Taliban government, which is facing the closure of its traditional trade routes through Pakistan after Islamabad closed the border in October 2025 due to the constant emanation of terrorism from Afghanistan into Pakistan.
This week, Pakistan temporarily closed the Pak-Iran borders to streamline security issues related to the movement of trade goods after intelligence reports confirmed that the Afghan Taliban were using trade goods vehicles to transport weapons and terrorists inside Pakistan. It is interesting to note that Afghanistan-Iran relations have risen while Pakistan-Afghanistan relations are facing historic low due to constant terrorism injection from Afghanistan to Pakistan.
According to available information, the Chabahar–Zahedan Railway track has already been completed. It connects the port of Chabahar to Iran’s main rail network via Zahedan, from where it connects to the Milak–Zaranj border crossing between Afghanistan and Iran. The Milak Border Crossing has connected Iran with Afghanistan since its establishment in 2005. Located on a 12.5-hectare site near Zaranj, Afghanistan, the terminal facilitates both passenger movement and cargo transport. The adjacent Silk Bridge, jointly managed by Iran and Afghanistan, forms the primary crossing point between Zaranj and Milak, with plans for a second bridge underway to enhance connectivity and accommodate growing trade volumes.
After the closure of the Pak-Afghan borders last October, Afghanistan has been conducting trade through Uzbekistan and Iran, and a direct Iranian railway connection with Afghanistan will provide additional convenience to the landlocked country. The railway passes through Khash, Iranshahr, and Nikshahr. The line is 750 kilometers long and is built as a single track with the standard gauge. The line is designed for a maximum permissible speed of 120 km/h for passenger trains and 90 km/h for freight trains. It is planned to transport 1.3 million tons of goods in the first year of operation, with this volume planned to increase to 35 million tons within the next 20 years.
The security situation in Sistan (Iranian Balochistan) is a major concern for the Iranian government in operationalizing railway traffic, and 300 temporary security posts for Iranian guards are being built before the project becomes operational by December 31, 2026.
