TEHRAN – Iran and Turkmenistan have agreed to construct two new railway lines at the Sarakhs border crossing to ease freight congestion and boost rail trade, the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways said after meeting Turkmenistan’s railway minister.

Jabbarali Zakeri said the plan includes adding one standard-gauge line and one broad-gauge line between the Sarakhs stations on each side of the border.

The agreement was reached during a bilateral meeting in Turkmenbashi on the sidelines of the United Nations’ Third Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries.

Zakeri, who is also deputy minister of transport and urban development, stressed that expanding the number of exchange tracks is vital for strengthening rail links between the two countries.

He said expert-level meetings between the two rail administrations will be held to advance implementation.

The talks also addressed the backlog of export freight at Sarakhs.

Zakeri said Turkmenistan’s railway will add 200 to 300 Uzbek freight wagons to the joint transport fleet to help increase international cargo capacity and speed up rail trade along the route.

The Sarakhs crossing is a key gateway for cargo flows between Iran, Central Asia and beyond, forming part of the International North–South Transit Corridor (INSTC) and other regional rail networks.

Officials say the planned infrastructure expansion will enhance both bilateral trade and multimodal transit operations through the corridor.

EF/MA