Construction on the Herat-Khawaf Railway is proceeding slowly due to technical problems in recent months, said Mir Akbar Yaqoobi, the contractor.

The work has halted many times.

Yaqoobi’s construction group says they have completed most of the project—all that remains is building the station.  

“95 percent of the work is completed, and only 5 percent remains, and that is the station,” said Mir Akbar Yaqoobi

Ahmad Saeed Azimian, an economic affairs analyst, said that given the importance of the project, the government should accelerate the work by enforcing deadlines. Also, Azimian alluded to some international problems with the cross-border transport route.

“Iran has problems with the international community, it doesn’t help Afghanistan that it doesn’t have a good relationship with Iran;  unfortunately this has affected Afghanistan and Iran’s joint projects,” said Azimian.

The Herat-Khawaf railway has four parts , with two on Iranian soil and two in Afghanistan. One Afghan section, which is 150 km long, is going slowly.

Iran has funded a portion of the railway that is being built by Afghans.

Meanwhile, a local official in Herat province says that efforts are underway to end the third part and start the fourth part.

The Herat governor's spokesman Jilani Farhad said, “some technical problems delayed the project, now the technical and security problems are solved, and we hope that we will finish the work and open the railway soon.”

“Insurgents attacked us but now there is no security problems--you can see the continuation of work here,” Said Saeed Mohib Sadiqi, commander of the Police’s Herat-Khawaf Railway Unit.