Major Rail Project to Be Inaugurated in Iran Next Week

The 132-km-long Mianeh-Bostanabad railroad, part of a bigger Mianeh-Tabriz rail project connecting East Azarbaijan Province to the national rail network, is scheduled to be inaugurated by President Hassan Rouhani on Nov. 21, the deputy head of the Construction and Development of Transportation Infrastructure Company for railroad expansion.
“A total of 14.14 trillion rials [$124.03 million] worth of investments have been made in this project, which will reduce Tehran-Tabriz travel distance and time by 114 kilometers and five and a half hours respectively, compared with the old route,” Abbas Khatibi was also quoted as saying by ILNA, adding that the current cost of the project is estimated to be 50 trillion rials (438.59 million).
The official noted that the transportation of 2 million passengers and 7 million tons of cargo has been targeted via Mianeh-Bostanabad railroad over the next two decades. 
According to Khatibi, Mianeh-Bostanabad railroad will create 200 direct jobs and 16 million liters of fuel will be saved annually through cargo and passenger transportation via this railroad.