BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 28. Turkmenistan has completed the modernization of the Serakhs Avtoyollary customs post on its border with Iran to facilitate faster cross-border trade and transit.
The update was announced in a press release published by the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan on July 28.
"The project has created conditions for increasing the checkpoint's capacity," the State Customs Service said in the press release.
According to the agency, the modernization included the renovation of buildings and infrastructure as well as the introduction of a digital management system to monitor and record the movement of vehicles and goods. The upgraded facilities are expected to strengthen customs control while accelerating border clearance procedures for freight traffic.
Located on the Turkmen-Iranian border at one of the country's principal international transport crossings, the Serakhs Avtoyollary customs post serves cargo flows moving along several international transport corridors and provides access to northeastern Iran, including the major commercial center of Mashhad.
The State Customs Service said the project forms part of Turkmenistan's broader program to modernize border crossings and expand the country's transit potential. According to the press release, since the beginning of this year, the Garabogaz and Artyk customs posts have also been upgraded and put into operation, the service added.
Improved capacity at the checkpoint is expected to support freight traffic along routes connecting Central Asia with Iranian markets and seaports, while also reinforcing Turkmenistan's role as a regional transit country.
The border upgrade also follows heightened attention to overland transport links through Iran after U.S. strikes earlier this month damaged the Aq Tekeh Khan railway bridge in Iran's Golestan Province. According to Iranian media, the bridge forms part of the rail corridor linking Iran with Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, China, and Russia, underscoring the strategic importance of alternative transport infrastructure connecting Central Asia with Middle Eastern markets.
Meanwhile, the announcement came as Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Farzaneh Sadegh, visited Turkmenistan for talks focused on expanding transport and transit cooperation. During the visit, the two sides discussed increasing freight flows, developing cross-border infrastructure, and strengthening connectivity along regional transport corridors linking Central Asia with the Persian Gulf. The timing underscores both countries' efforts to facilitate growing trade and transit through their shared border.
