---
title: "Chabahar-Zahedan Railway: India-Iran Link | Model Diplomat"
description: "The Chabahar-Zahedan Railway is a 628-km Iranian line linking Chabahar port to Zahedan, central to India's Afghanistan access amid US sanctions friction."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/chabahar-zahedan-railway"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The Chabahar-Zahedan Railway is a 628-kilometre Iranian rail line connecting the Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman to Zahedan near the Afghan border.
- Why did India's role in the Chabahar-Zahedan Railway stall?
- How does the railway differ from Chabahar Port and the INSTC?
- What strategic purpose does the corridor serve for India?
- How did the 2021 Taliban takeover and Iran-China ties affect the project?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 23 May 2016

   Its legal and diplomatic origin lies in the trilateral framework signed in Tehran on by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Hassan Rouhan…

2. 13 May 2024

   India first committed to equipping and operating the Shahid Beheshti terminal, formalised in a ten-year operating contract signed in 2018 and subsequently ex…

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Example

In July 2020, Iran's Ministry of Roads and Urban Development announced it would build the Chabahar-Zahedan Railway on its own, citing delays in Indian financing tied to US sanctions exposure.

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