ECONOMY — June 23, 2026
Contract Signed for Herat-Mazar-i-Sharif Railway to Connect Afghanistan and Central Asia
The railway will connect northern Afghan provinces and link Iran and Turkey to Central Asia and China, with funding drawn partly from mineral resources and nearly 55 billion afghanis pledged by private banks.
The Ehtebar Desk — originates with ToloNews — 2 min read
The Herat-Mazar-i-Sharif railway project has entered the operational phase after a contract was signed between Kabul and Tehran.
The initiative aims to strengthen rail links between Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. It is also intended to reduce Afghanistan's dependency on current export routes.
The railway will connect northern Afghan provinces and serve as a corridor linking Iran and Turkey to Central Asia and eventually China. The Ministry of Public Works has described the project as a key economic corridor.
Funding for the railway will come partly from Afghanistan's mineral resources. Private banks in Afghanistan have announced an investment of nearly 55 billion afghanis.
The project is expected to support transit, trade, job creation, and investment across the region through improved rail connectivity.
Read the original reporting at ToloNews →
Reliability assessment
Single source but contains multiple on-record statements from named individuals (Mahmoud Sayedat, Mohammad Ashraf Haqnashin, Abdul Ghaffar Nazari) with concrete project details including contract status, funding sources, and route descriptions.
The source language reads straight.
Independent web corroboration
An independent web search turned up no separate corroborating reports. Treat the account as single-sourced until more outlets pick it up.
Across the newsrooms
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ToloNews
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Reported straight
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Economy — Herat-Mazar-i-Sharif Railway, Afghanistan-Iran, Central Asia Connectivity, Infrastructure, Transit Corridors
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