TEHRAN, Dec. 29 (MNA) – Iran's Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development for Construction and Development of Railways, Ports and Airports said that Iran’s rail network will be connected to Afghanistan soon.

Abbas Khatibi made the remarks on Sat. and pointed to the quantitative increase of rail network towards neighboring countries and revealed the connection of railway network of the country to neighboring Afghanistan.

He also referred to the prioritized projects of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development and added, “up to the present time, five rail projects have been put into operation in the country.”

Efforts are underway to put Bostanabad-Khavaran Road in Tabriz, East Azarbaijan province, into operation before termination of the next year (to start March 21, 2020), he emphasized.

He went on to say that Khaf-Herat railway project, as long as 139 km, which connects the rail network of the country of Afghanistan, will come on stream by the end of the next Iranian year (to start March 21, 2020).

Connection of rail network of the country to neighboring countries is one of the main policies of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, the issue of which has been put atop agenda of the ministry, Khatibi added.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the deputy minister of roads pointed to Rasht-Astara Railway project and said, “effective and constructive talks have been made in this regard in line with completing construction operation of this giant project.”

He also revealed the development of rail lines of the country towards Eurasia and added, “in construction of railway projects, technical specifications are taken into consideration, so that the trains are transited and exited from the country in appropriate time.”

MNA/4809801