Railroad Share in Iran’s Freight Transportation Insignificant

Despite the benefits of rail freight transportation compared to other modes, Iran has been suffering from a low share of railroad in the movement of cargo.
Rail freight transport holds critical importance in supporting a country’s economy due to its role in ensuring seamless and efficient flow of goods locally and across borders.
Iran has close to 15,000 kilometers of railroad, yet the share of rail in freight transportation is less than 10%, according to Minister of Roads and Urban Development Rostam Qasemi.
The low speed of cargo trains in Iran (currently at an average of 100 kilometers per hour), long distances between rail corridors and freight centers as well as the dilapidated rail fleet are the main reasons behind the lackluster performance of the country’s rail sector.