Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Farzana Sadeq, has called for extending Afghanistan’s railway network from Herat to the Termez border area in Uzbekistan to strengthen regional trade and transport links.

Farzana made the proposal during a specialised meeting on the Trans-Afghan Corridor in Astana, Kazakhstan, saying Iran is exploring ways to expand railway connectivity with Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.

She said the proposed route could create new opportunities for freight transportation and improve regional countries’ access to open waters. She added that the railway connection should eventually link with the wider railway networks of Central Asia and China.

The Iranian minister also proposed that countries along the Iran–Afghanistan–Tajikistan–Kyrgyzstan–China corridor hold a meeting under the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) to identify practical mechanisms for implementing the plan.

Referring to the Chabahar transit agreement between Iran, Afghanistan and India, Farzana said the port has the potential to facilitate the movement of goods from Afghanistan and Central Asian countries to international markets.

She also identified potential railway connections linking Afghanistan with Türkiye and Europe through Sarakhs and Razi, as well as access to the Caucasus and the Black Sea through Sarakhs and Jolfa, as projects worth pursuing within the regional transport network.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Works said the country has significant potential to serve as a regional connectivity hub. The ministry said Afghanistan welcomes investment from all countries, including Iran, in railway development and transit infrastructure and is ready to cooperate on such projects.

Transport ministers from Iran, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Kazakhstan, along with the head of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s railway authority, attended the Trans-Afghan Corridor meeting in Astana.

Mohsen Rokni, head of the Dogharoun border terminal, says the crossing accounted for 70 percent of Iran’s exports to Afghanistan during the first half of the current solar year, making it the leading export gateway among border crossings in Iran’s Razavi Khorasan Province.

According to Rokni, Dogharoun also accounted for 34 percent of the province’s imports and 20 percent of inbound transit goods from Afghanistan to Iran during the same period.

He said major Iranian exports through the crossing include construction materials, steel products, food items, fruits and vegetables, and petroleum products.

Located near the Iranian city of Taybad along the Afghan border, Dogharoun remains a key trade and transit route between the two countries.

Officials from Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Iran have discussed ways to advance the Trans-Afghan transport corridor and the Central Asia-South Asia (CASA) railway project, aiming to strengthen regional connectivity and expand trade routes.

According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport, the discussions took place during the international NEW SILK WAY business forum in Astana, attended by senior transport officials from the five countries.

The meeting focused on the CASA railway project, which aims to improve transport links between Central, South and West Asia, increase freight capacity and provide better access to international markets and seaports.

Participants reviewed the project’s current status and practical implementation requirements, including route coordination, infrastructure development and the establishment of a cargo base.

They also discussed financing mechanisms, attracting potential investors and international financial institutions, and strengthening coordination among Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Kazakhstan’s Minister of Transport, Nurlan Sauranbaev, said the participating countries had reaffirmed their shared interest in developing the Trans-Afghan corridor and implementing the CASA railway project.

“It is important for us to move from discussions to practical action,” Sauranbaev said, adding that the project could create an additional transport link between the regions, increase transit capacity, expand freight opportunities and strengthen trade and economic ties.

Following the meeting, participants reaffirmed their commitment to continued cooperation and the development of practical measures to advance the project.