Railways CEO Stresses Acceleration of North–South Corridor Development and Expansion of Railway Cooperation with India
TEHRAN – Iranian Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development and CEO of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, Dr. Jabarali Zakari, announced that Chabahar–Zahedan railway will be completed within the next six months, marking a major step toward enhancing regional transit connectivity.
Speaking at a bilateral meeting with Rudra Gaurav Shresth, the Ambassador of India to Tehran, held on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at the Central Headquarter of the Iranian Railways, Dr. Zakeri emphasized the strategic importance of the North–South Transport Corridor in international freight movement.
He noted that the development of this corridor remains one of Iran’s top priorities; expressing hope for closer cooperation among member countries would accelerate its progress.
“Our goal is to facilitate the movement of commercial cargo between India and Russia through Iran,” Zakeri stated. Pointing this fact that the development of Chabahar Port could play a key role in strengthening the corridor and boosting Iran’s share in regional transit, Zakeri stressed: “We are working intensively to complete the necessary infrastructure for this purpose”.
The CEO of the Iranian Railway also referred multimodal maritime and rail transport between Mumbai Port and Chabahar and expressed that joint efforts among Iran, India, and Russia would create substantial new capacity for north–south freight flows.
Highlighting the critical need for rail access to make Chabahar Port fully operational, Zakeri said:
“The Chabahar–Zahedan line will be completed within six months, and three months later, it will enter the operational phase.”
He further revealed ongoing efforts to establish a rail link between Afghanistan and India via Chabahar, which would significantly reduce both the distance and time of freight transit between the two countries.
Dr. Zakari called for expanded technical cooperation between the railway authorities of Iran and India, as well as greater engagement from the private sectors of both nations. He expressed confidence that enhanced coordination and partnership would pave the way for tangible progress in regional transit development.
For his part, Ambassador Rudra Gaurav Shresth welcomed the growing momentum in bilateral railway cooperation and commended the active role of the Iranian Railways in advancing regional transit connectivity.
