Khaf-Herat Railway Corridor
The approximately 225 km standard-gauge railway comprises about 140 km in Iran and about 85 km from the border to Rozanak in Afghanistan. Sections 1–3 were inaugurated in December 2020, when an Iranian cargo train reached Rozanak. Iran funded the Afghan section and Iranian companies constructed it, according to lower-authority reference material.
Strategic and market-access role
Khaf-Herat Railway Corridor is a high-relevance eastern corridor asset in the Hormuz Graph because it links Iran’s rail system to Afghanistan-facing trade, especially the Herat market and mineral-rich eastern geography. Its role connects rail freight, cross-border logistics, construction materials, mining-related movement, export routes, and the Mashhad–Khaf–Herat trade axis. The corridor is important less as a local rail asset and more as a test of whether Iran can convert eastern geography into practical transit, regional trade, and Afghanistan-linked supply-chain capacity. Provides a rail connection from Iran into western Afghanistan, reaching Rozanak and potentially extending to Herat city when Section 4 is completed.
Operations, capacity & connectivity
Related use cases
Useful for Afghanistan-facing corridor screening, rail freight planning, mining logistics analysis, export-route assessment, border-risk review, and partner search around Khaf, Taybad, Mashhad, and Herat-linked trade. Analysts can use it to compare rail-based movement with Dogharoon road freight and test whether corridor claims match actual operating conditions. Verification should cover active sections, customs procedures, security exposure, transshipment needs, freight frequency, and Afghan-side connectivity.
Capacity and service area
Capacity: Project capacity was 3 million tonnes of freight annually at inception, with a longer-term target of up to 6 million tonnes. Passenger capacity was projected at 1 million passengers annually. These are reported projections or targets, not verified current utilisation. Service area: The completed sections run from Khaf in Iran to Rozanak in Afghanistan’s Herat Province. The planned or incomplete final section would extend the railway to Herat city.
Ownership, operation & expansion
Owner and operator
Operator: Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI) is identified in available evidence as operator of the Iranian section; a corridor-wide operating arrangement is not confirmed.
Opening or commissioning
2020 (Sections 1–3 inaugurated on 10 December 2020).
Expansion and development projects
Section 4, an approximately 43 km extension from Rozanak to Herat city, was identified as the key future phase as of 18 October 2023.
Constraints, risk & compliance
Operational constraints
The line does not yet reach Herat city. Current freight volumes, service frequency, customs procedures, transshipment arrangements and Afghan-side operating details are not confirmed in the evidence pack.
Key risks and compliance considerations
Decision-makers should account for the incomplete Herat-city extension and the absence of verified current operating and throughput data for the Afghan section.
Connected Intelligence
Relevant geography, industry, market and execution context for this profile.
Frequently asked questions
Direct answers to the questions most likely to arise when reviewing this profile.
Is the Khaf-Herat Railway Corridor operational?
It is partially operational. Sections 1–3 between Khaf and Rozanak were inaugurated on 10 December 2020. The extension from Rozanak to Herat city remained under construction or planned in reporting dated 18 October 2023.
How long is the Khaf-Herat Railway Corridor?
The project is reported to be approximately 225 km long: about 140 km in Iran and about 85 km from the Iranian border to Rozanak in Afghanistan.
Does the railway currently reach Herat city?
Not according to the available evidence. The approximately 43 km Section 4 connection from Rozanak to Herat city was identified as a future or incomplete phase as of October 2023.
What freight capacity has been reported for the corridor?
Reported project projections were 3 million tonnes annually initially and up to 6 million tonnes annually in the longer term. The evidence does not verify current freight throughput.