Iraq is likely to complete its first cross-border railway link — Basra-Chalamja connection project — with neighbouring Iran in the next 18 months, mostly to make it easier for the millions of pilgrims who annually travel to Shi’ite Muslim sites in Iraq, Reuters reported.
The roughly 30-kilometer line will connect Basra, a city in southern Iraq, with Shalamja, a border town with Iran. The aim of the project is to transport “travellers from the Islamic Republic of Iran and Central Asian countries” to Shiite holy cities.
The ties between Iran and Iraq have strengthened since the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, following which pro-Tehran Shi’ite Muslim parties seized power in Baghdad.
The Iraqi Prime Minister’s transportation advisor, Nasser Al-Asadi told Reuters “We should see the trains moving in about 18 months because it’s a small distance, adding that the government also planned a metro link between Karbala and Najaf.”
In recent weeks, millions of Iranians and non-Iranians have entered Iraq through Shalamche and other shared border crossings to attend the yearly Arbaeen pilgrimage.
The construction of the railway was a long-term endeavour. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was initially signed by the two nations in March 2011, but was never followed up on.
Tehran and Baghdad signed a new Memorandum of Understanding in 2014 for the construction of this railway line, but real progress was made after two countries resumed discussions in 2021.
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Sayima Ahmad | 
