TEHRAN – Mansour Bijar, Governor-General of Sistan-Baluchestan, has highlighted the vital role of the Chabahar railway, describing it as a key route linking southeast Iran with tourism and the national economy.

He also emphasized the province’s efforts to fully leverage the potential of this project, Miras Arya (CHTN) reported.

During his visit to the Chabahar rail projects, he said the railways on the coasts of the Oman Sea have a role beyond transportation. They are like bridges that bring tourists, capital, and hope to the southeast of the country, he added.

He said the project has sought to have balanced development and establish sustainable infrastructure for national tourism.

Bijar explained that the Chabahar-Zahedan railway has been planned to meet the logistical and economic concerns of the region and turn Chabahar into a top destination for domestic and international tourists and investors. 

Apart from being a commercial port, Chabahar should have a status as a new space for boosting tourism industry along regional markets and transit potentials, he pointed out.

He said the railway links Makran coasts to a bright future. Each kilometer of railway which is constructed, is a chance for more prosperity, employment and hope in the southeast, he added.

Pointing to the physical progress of the project, the governor general called expanding the railway as an important factor in cooperation of tourism, trade and transportation sectors.

He emphasized that once the project is inaugurated, it will boost the connection between domestic and foreign parts of the country from the country’s soil to the banks of Oman Sea and a new future will occur to the region.

Chabahar railway is part of the government’s macro project for boosting north-south corridor and turning this port into a regional trade and tourism hub. 

Based on recent ratifications following President’s visit to the province, 260,000 billion rials ($35.8 million) worth of credit has been allocated to the project to accelerate its implementation, he mentioned.

The project which is being conducted by Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters, will be completed by the end of current Iranian year, he said. 

The 628-kilometer railway project which is aimed to connect Chabahar to Zahedan (the capital city of southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan Province) is an important part of the north-south transportation corridor. It began in 2013 and has seen a physical progress of 80 percent.

Connecting the ports to the railway network is an issue seriously emphasized and followed up by Iran over the recent years, as the country is strongly pursuing the objective of boosting exports and transit via its ports.

KD