IRAN: A Chinese company is to electrify 1 000 km of the east-west corridor connecting Serakhs on the border with Turkmenistan to Razi on the border with Turkey.
Speaking after a meeting with China Railway during the 106th General Assembly of the International Union of Railways in Beijing, head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways Jabbar Ali Zakeri said the project would include the construction of a second track on parts of the corridor to triple freight capacity to 15 million tonnes/year.
China and Iran signed a 25-year cooperation agreement in March 2021, with China planning major investments in Iran’s infrastructure as part of the Belt & Road Initiative. This aims to provide China with reliable freight links to Europe, western Asia and onwards to Africa.
Meanwhile Iran is stepping up investment in developing its transport infrastructure as part of a plan to diversify the economy away from dependence on energy exports, and to benefit from increased transit freight traffic.
- On July 9 RAI signed a 882tr rial agreement for private operators Raja Rail Transportation and Rail Tarabar Saba to upgrade its passenger fleet under a public-private financing structure. The two companies are to purchase 60 and 70 new coaches and upgrade 100 and 37 existing coaches to the same standard.
