Iran, Iraq to start building cross-border railway

Published by
Al-Araby

Iran and Iraq signed an agreement on Monday to finally begin the construction of a new railway to connect the neighbouring countries. The Islamic Republic of Iran Railways and Iraqi Republic Railways companies agreed to establish a joint venture within two months to oversee the project, Iran’s state-run news agency reported. The new railway will connect Basra, southern Iraq’s largest city, to the small western Iran town of Shalamcheh, only 30 km away. The project has been discussed for years, and work on it was set to begin last year. The deal was signed during a visit to Baghdad by Iranian Tr…