Why is the Shalamcheh-Basra railroad so important to Iran and Iraq?

Why is the Shalamcheh-Basra railroad so important to Iran and Iraq?

Aljazeera-

Tehran, Iran – Iran and Iraq have announced that work on a railroad linking the two countries that was initially envisioned decades ago has officially begun.

When complete, it will facilitate the movement of millions of Iranian pilgrims heading to holy sites in Iraq.

Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani marked the start of construction on the Shalamcheh-Basra railroad along their border on Saturday.

So what is the rail project, what are the challenges and why does it matter geopolitically to both countries?

What is the Shalamcheh-Basra railroad?

The railroad is to connect the Iranian border town of Shalamcheh with the southeastern Iraqi city of Basra to transport passengers and cargo.

Iranian officials said the 32km (20-mile) railroad will be completed in 18 to 24 months.

Tehran and Baghdad first inked an agreement to develop the route in 2014 but were forced to halt the project a short time later as the ISIL (ISIS) group conducted its violent offensive through large parts of Iraq.

Years passed without much progress, but after the security and political situation in Iraq improved, they committed to the project again in late 2021. However, they did not manage to achieve their target of completing the project within two years.

In April, Iraqi Transport Minister Razzaq Al-Saadawi visited Tehran and met his counterpart, Mehrdad Bazrpash, with plans on the railroad at the centre of their talks.

The agreements they signed led to last week’s announcement – the most promising so far for prospects of completing the project.

Mokhber told reporters last week that the two countries had envisioned the railway for decades with plans dating back to shortly before the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979.

As part of the project, Iran aims to build an overpass on the waterway that divides the two countries, known as the Arvand River in Iran and Shatt al-Arab in Iraq.

Officials said the bridge needs to be moveable because ships need to be able to pass under it.