Rail Transit Potential Locked by Government

The volume of foreign cargo transited by rail from Iran declined by 35% in the first half of the current Iranian year (March 21-Sept. 22) compared with the similar period of last year, according to the secretary of Rail Transportation Companies Association.
In an interview with the Persian newspaper Ta’adol, Sobhan Nazari added that currently 500 locomotives are active on the country’s railroads. Noting that many engines have been grounded due to technical problems, he said Iran needs many more locomotives to claim its fair share of the regional rail transit.
“The problem is that the [state-owned] Islamic Republic of Iran Railways insists on getting the repairing budget from the government so that it could remain the owner of these locomotives. This is while the private sector has expressed its willingness to repair the rolling stock and put them back to use in no time. IRIR cannot remain the owner of the entirety of Iran’s railroads and rolling stock forever and wasn’t a good manager of rail transportation to begin with,” he said.