Plan to Electrify Tehran-Tabriz Railroad

Plans are underway to electrify a railroad connecting Tehran to the city of Tabriz in East Azarbaijan Province in northwestern Iran, the new CEO of Islamic Republic of Iran Railways said. “Negotiations are underway to raise investment to electrify the Tehran-Tabriz Railroad,” Saeed Mohammadzadeh was also quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency. “This would increase the railroad’s speed to 200 kilometers per hour,” he said, without elaborating on the details of the negotiations. Electrification of railroads has recently been high on the government’s agenda. Iran has been in talks with Germany’s Siemens as well as Chinese companies to electrify the Tehran-Mashhad Railroad. In October, Germany’s Siemens signed a contract to supply components for 50 diesel-electric locomotives, which will be used in the 926-km railroad, to Iran’s MAPNA Group. Another agreement was signed between the two companies to jointly manufacture 70 electric locomotives for the route.