Iraq and Iran have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to complete the Shalamcheh-Basra railway,Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported. Construction on the railway was set to begin after Ramadan, with a target to complete construction within 18 months, we previously reported.

The details: The construction of infrastructure, pavement and buildings required for the railway will be carried out by the state-owned Iraqi Republic Railways Company. The first phase of the project will involve a mine clearing operation, after which Iraq is said to begin development of the railway. The two countries are also set to develop a movable bridge over the Shatt Al-Arab river to connect the two countries.

Background: The railway is a joint project between Iran Railways and the Iraqi Railways Company, according to Iran’s Transport and Urban Development Ministry. It will connect Iran’s Shalamcheh town to Iraq’s city of Basra, linking Iran with Jordan, Syria, and neighboring countries in the process, Tasnim reported earlier.

More coming? Iran and Iraq also have recently discussed the potential to develop a new railway linking Khosravi in Iran to Karbala in Iraq.

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