A total of 65 domestically-made and overhauled rolling stock worth 1.56 trillion rials ($7.6 million) joined Iran’s rail fleet on June 30.
The event was attended by Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami, the head of Islamic Republic of Iran Railways Saeed Rasouli and Tehran’s Mayor Pirouz Hanachi.
The additions included two locomotives, 53 freight and two passenger wagons, all newly manufactured, in addition to eight renovated passenger wagons, IRNA reported.
MAPNA Group, Wagon Pars Company, Derakhshan Steel Company, Kowsar Wagon Company, Polour-e-Sabz and Rail Pardaz Industrial Group were the domestic rolling stock manufacturers engaged in the project.
“Overall, 209 locomotives and passenger and cargo wagons worth 4.25 trillion rials [$20.73 million] have been added to the domestic rail fleet since the beginning of the current Iranian year [March 20], which shows a 78% increase compared with the similar period of last year,” Rasouli was quoted as saying by the news portal of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development.
The official noted that plans are to produce and overhaul 2,000 rolling stock by the fiscal yearend (March 20, 2021).
Eslami told Fars News Agency that last year a total of 788 locally-made rolling stock worth 12.7 trillion rials ($61.95 million) joined the Iranian rail system, adding that the government aims to increase this figure by 45% by the end of the current year (March 20, 2021).
“We are also planning to increase the speed and safety of our fleet,” he said.
With the aim of reducing road traffic and battling air pollution, the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development has placed the development of Iran’s rail sector on top of its agenda.
Iran’s Sixth Five-Year Development Plan (2017-22) has tasked the government with increasing the share of railroad in cargo and passenger transportation from the current 12% and 8% to 30% and 20% respectively by the end of the plan.
