A total of 70 domestically-made and overhauled rolling stock worth 2.23 trillion rials ($8.9 million) joined Iran’s rail fleet on Nov. 24 during a ceremony attended by Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami and the head of Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, Saeed Rasouli, and his deputies.
“The addition included 57 high-sided four-axle, 10 two-axle container carrier wagons and one self-propelled locomotive that underwent full-scale renovation,” Rasouli was quoted as saying by IRNA.
Arak Province’s Wagon Pars Company, Isfahan’s Kowsar Wagon Company, Derakhshan Steel Company and MAPNA Company were the domestic rolling stock manufacturers engaged in the project.
Investors in the project were Azar Kia Trading Company, Pouya Tarabar Pishtaz Company and Raja Railway Transport Company.
The official noted that this round’s new fleet have saved the country €26.8 million and created 856 jobs in the rail sector.
Overall, 521 locomotives and passenger and cargo wagons worth 11.56 trillion rials ($46.24 million) have been added to the country’s rail fleet since the beginning of the current Iranian year on March 20, showing a 20% increase compared with the similar period of last year.
Rasouli said last month that 15 crane locomotives have also been supplied using foreign funds.
“Negotiations for these foreign funds were made in previous years, but did not provide any figures for the amount or the countries providing them,” he said.
During the ceremony on Tuesday, Iran unveiled its first domestically-manufactured locomotive called “Pars 33” after 10 years and with that Wagon Pars Company, which had ceased manufacturing locomotives around 10 years ago, officially resumed its activity in the field.
“This locomotive, with a 3,300 horsepower engine, will be handed over to Alborzniroo fleet and Equipment Company that had placed the order,” Rasouli said.
Mohammad Reza Mokhtari, Wagon Pars CEO, said the firm plans to manufacture three more locomotives by the end of the current Iranian year (March 20, 2021).
“We had managed to manufacture some parts of this system before, but this is the first time 100% locally-made wagon brakes have been installed on our rail fleet,” he said.
“Iranian rail transport companies have placed orders with domestic companies to manufacture 8,077 rolling stock.”
Mokhtari noted that this shows the country’s technological and industrial competence in the field, ILNA reported.
Eslami also told Mehr News Agency that the government has set a goal of producing and overhauling 2,000 rolling stock by the yearend and to reach that goal, the Roads Ministry has issued permits for passenger wagon manufacturers to produce cargo wagons as well.
IRIR signed a contract with IRICO for the rolling stock manufacturer to overhaul locomotives and wagons as part of the plan to reach the set target.
Founded in 2003, IRICO is an Iranian manufacturer of passenger rolling stock. The company is headquartered in Tehran and has a factory in Zanjan Province’s Abhar County where it designs and manufactures various types of rolling stock such as passenger coaches, metro cars, Diesel Multiple Units, various freight wagons and bogies in accordance with the standards of the International Union of Railways.
Eslami had said last fiscal year (March 2019-20) that a total of 788 locally-made rolling stock worth 12.7 trillion rials ($50.8 million) joined the Iranian rail system, adding that the government aims to increase this figure by 45% by the end of the current fiscal year (March 20, 2021).
“This volume of rail fleet production created a total of 3,251 jobs while saving $50 million in foreign currency,” he said.
“By the end of fiscal 2021-22, there should be no substandard wagon running on our rails and IRIR and rolling stock manufacturers have to put all their efforts and resources in ensuring this. We are also planning to increase the speed and safety of our fleet.”
The roads minister added that Iran benefits from around 14,000 kilometers of railroads established across the country, adding that nearly the same volume is being designed or under construction.
“Plans are to inaugurate all these projects within the next five years,” he said.
Eslami said last year that in meeting domestic demand for wagons and locomotives, the government is giving priority to local manufacturers and their production capacity.
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 rail in cargo and passenger transportation to 30% and 20% respectively by the end of the plan.
The roads minister had said in September that before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the share of rail in cargo transportation stood close to 13% and estimated that the figure will rise to 15% by the yearend. The share of rail in passenger transportation currently amounts to 8%.
