# IRAN | Railways



## tjrgx (Oct 12, 2013)

*Siemens signs Iranian railway memorandum of understanding*

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...nian-railway-memorandum-of-understanding.html

RAN: Islamic Republic of Iran Railways and Siemens signed a memorandum of understanding for potential co-operation in the rail sector in Tehran on January 6.

A Siemens spokesman told Railway Gazette the company intends ‘to engage in talks on improving infrastructure in the rail sector as agreed by both parties’, and stressed Siemens was ‘strictly complying’ with legal requirements, particularly in the area of export controls.

Iranian media reports said Siemens could participate in projects including electrification of the Tehran – Mashhad route and the future Tehran – Esfahan fast line, supplying signalling systems, electric locomotives and 500 coaches. Siemens would also provide training services, and would be required to enter into technology transfer agreements with local partners.

In 2008 Siemens and MAPNA signed a technology transfer agreement covering the production of 150 IranRunner diesel locomotives, the first 30 of which were supplied from Germany. However in January 2010 Siemens announced it would withdraw from the Iranian market on the completion of its existing contracts. 










Source


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## TedStriker (May 18, 2009)

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...diterranean-rail-and-sea-corridor-agreed.html


Mumbai – Mediterranean rail and sea corridor agreed


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## MarcVD (Dec 1, 2008)

TedStriker said:


> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...diterranean-rail-and-sea-corridor-agreed.html


13 days to cross Iran from Bandar Abbas to Astara, seriously ???


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

From Railway Gazette:



> *President launches Tehran - Mashhad electrification project*
> 08 Feb 2016
> 
> 
> ...


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## Robi_damian (Jun 15, 2008)

Dat Crossrail banner tho...


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## Spam King (May 14, 2008)

Robi_damian said:


> Dat Crossrail banner tho...


Hahahaha. They could have at least gotten rid of the roundel.


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## tjrgx (Oct 12, 2013)

*Silk Road Trade: First Chinese freight train arrives in Tehran*


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## MarcVD (Dec 1, 2008)

Nice. But 14 days, really ? Trains from China reach Europe via Transsib in that
time... This should be cut by at least 50%. Could someone post a schedule ?
It would be interesting to see where time is lost. I would expect at the border
stations, but I'm curious. There are only 2 countries in between (Kazakhstan
and Turkmenistan) so only 3 border crossings. Two breaks of gauge, also...

And, by the way, where did that train enter Iran ? At the existing border station
of Sarakhs, near Mashhad, or at the new one near Gorgan (if it is open already) ?


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## MarcVD (Dec 1, 2008)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7csBeK2gxg&feature=player_embedded

Answering part of my own questions... From this video, definitely via Sarakhs.


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

From Railway Gazette:



> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...w/view/tehran-mashhad-capacity-increased.html
> 
> *Tehran – Mashhad capacity increased*
> 09 Mar 2016
> ...


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## foxmulder (Dec 1, 2007)

China-Iran link:












> The 10,500km journey from Yiwu City in eastern China through Kazakhstan, Kyrghyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan was sluggish; but when the first Chinese train pulled into Tehran station after a 14-day haul, Iranian officials hailed a great leap forward. “We’re becoming the global hub between east and west,” waxed one minister. By April, when the new trans-Kazakh railroad opens fully, Iranian executives hope to have cut the journey time to China, currently its biggest trade partner, to just eight days—a month less than the sea route takes. Should Turkey get on board, the route might even replace the Suez Canal as a primary Chinese and Iranian route to Europe. Iranian companies will no longer be limited to an 80m-strong local market, President Hassan Rohani’s advisers anticipate, but will be connected to the EU’s 500m.
> 
> Other rail links are coming down the line, too. Within six months, Abbas Akhoundi, Iran’s British-trained transport minister, will open a track to Afghanistan’s mines, and ship minerals to India via a revamped south-eastern port, Chabahar, bypassing Pakistan. Within two years, Iran will have built a bridge over the Shatt-al-Arab river into Iraq and into the Fertile Crescent, he says. Fresh track will open the way through Azerbaijan to Russia and the Central Asian republics. “When we were inward we had poor cross-border links,” says Mr Akhoundi. “If we want to be outward-looking we need to improve them accordingly.” Iran also plans to more than double its internal 10,000km rail network over the next decade and replace the rolling stock that trundles at 90kph with high-speed trains on electrified lines. Once complete, the 420km journey to Isfahan would take 90 minutes, and the 920 km trip to Mashhad less than six hours.
> 
> ...



http://www.economist.com/news/middl...enthusiasts-iranu2019s-new-continent-spanning


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## nachalnik (Nov 7, 2008)

See 
http://report.az/en/infrastructure/...ational-rail-service-discussed-in-nakhchivan/
http://report.az/en/infrastructure/a-passenger-train-between-nakhchivan-and-mashhad-may-be-run/

_
Opening of Nakhchivan-Tabriz-Tehran-Mashhad rail service discussed in Nakhchivan
02 March, 2016 17:07
They discussed mainly technical issues, including the train schedule and tariffs

Baku. 2 March. REPORT.AZ/ The first discussions on the opening of the Nakhchivan-Tabriz-Tehran-Mashhad international passenger rail service has been held in Nakhchivan.

Report informs, on behalf of Azerbaijan the meeting was attended by Madat Shikhamirov, deputy chief of the Department of Passenger Transportation at Azerbaijan Railways and Mahir Aliyev, director of Nakhchivan Railways. Mir Hossein Mousavi, Director General of Azerbaijan Railway Organization, and Murtaza Jaffar, Director General of Iran Railways Passenger Service.

They discussed mainly technical issues, including the train schedule and tariffs.

The preparatory meeting will be followed by a high-level gathering involving heads of Azerbaijani and Iranian railways due to take place in the coming days.
_


http://www.azernews.az/business/93669.html

_
By Aynur Karimova

Baku and Tehran are planning to launch a passenger train between Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan city and Iranian city of Mashhad.

This intention was sounded at a meeting between Javid Gurbanov, the Head of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC and Abbas Hajfathaliha, a member of the Board of the Iran Railways in Nakhchivan on March 3.

During the meeting, the sides discussed launching a passenger train on the Nakhchivan-Julfa-Tabriz-Tehran-Mashhad route, and finding sources for funding the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway, Azerbaijan Railways reported.

The Azerbaijani and Iranian railways agreed to conduct inspection on the Julfa station in March, where a point for replacement of wheelpairs is located, consider and discuss the possibility of aligning the system of sale of railway tickets of the two countries.

The railway companies' next meeting will be held in April.

Commenting on details of launching the passenger train between Nakhchivan and Mashhad, Mansour Airom, Iran’s Consul General in Nakhchivan, told Trend that this train will run twice a week.

He believes that the railway companies' meeting on March 3 was aimed at laying a ground for inaugurating the plan of Azerbaijan and Iran to deepen cooperation in the railway transport section.

This cooperation was envisaged in a Framework Agreement between the Azerbaijani and Iranian governments on the coordination of railways of the two countries, which was signed by Iranian Minister of Transportation Abbas Akhoundi and Azerbaijan's Economy and Industry Minister Shahin Mustafayev during President Ilham Aliyev's Tehran visit on February 23.

Currently, Azerbaijan and Iran are focused on expanding economic ties in various fields, including industry, agriculture, energy, alternative energy, and transportation.

Iran's export to Azerbaijan during the first half of 2015 decreased 55.36 percent to $42.52 million year-on-year. Azerbaijan's export to Iran also decreased 67.11 percent to $11.16 million during that period.

--
_


Nachalnik


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

From Rail Journal:



> http://www.railjournal.com/index.ph...ns-iranian-rolling-stock-mou.html?channel=540
> 
> *Hyundai Rotem signs Iranian rolling stock MoU*
> Wednesday, May 04, 2016
> ...


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## tjrgx (Oct 12, 2013)

*Tehran – Esfahan line should be TSI-compliant, RAI tells Chinese contractors*

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...contractors.html?sword_list[]=iran&no_cache=1
IRAN: The Tehran – Esfahan high speed railway, which is expected to carry passengers in 2021, will be built to European TSI standards, according to national railway RAI’s Project Director Dr Jabar Ali Zakeri.

The 410 km route will be designed for 250 km/h operation, and is being delivered in two phases. This reflects the staggered approval of the project by the Iranian government; preparatory works on the southern section between Qom and Esfahan began in 2010, while the northern route between Qom and the capital is still at an early stage of preparatory works.

RAI has appointed a Chinese consortium led by China Railway Engineering Corp to undertake civil works, and Zakeri told Railway Gazette International in Tehran on May 17 that the contractor has completed two-thirds of the substructure of the Qom – Esfahan section.

RAI has also appointed Italian consultancy Italferr, a subsidiary of national railway holding company FS, in a supervisory role until at least the end of 2016. Included in its remit is the task of ensuring the Chinese teams comply with European TSIs and other technical standards.

‘We are in the final stages of negotiations with our Chinese partners’, Zakeri said. ‘We hope to work together to find common ground to ensure that this railway is interoperable with the future extensions and new lines we have planned.’

The public transport market between Tehran and Esfahan is currently dominated by long-distance bus services, with just two passenger trains linking the cities each day. The high speed line would reduce the rail journey time from around 7 h to 2 h, RAI says.


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

From Rail Journal:



> http://www.railjournal.com/index.ph...ins-iranian-locomotive-order.html?channel=528
> 
> *CRRC Ziyang wins Iranian locomotive order*
> Tuesday, August 16, 2016
> ...


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## nachalnik (Nov 7, 2008)

A direct passenger train service from Nakhchivan to Mashhad via Tabriz might soon be started.


See http://www.azernews.az/business/104118.html

Nakhchivan ready to put Nakhchivan-Mashhad railway into operation
23 October 2016 13:01 (UTC+04:00)

Cooperation in the spheres of economy, health, customs, standardization, transit and transportation has been an important element of the bilateral relations between Iran and Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in last two years, Iran`s consul general in Nakhchivan Mansour Ayrim told journalists.

The consul general said that Nakhchivan was ready to put into operation the Nakhchivan-Mashhad railway, and added that once Iran was ready the railway would be launched increasing the passenger transportation between the two countries.

------------

More details: https://report.az/en/infrastructure/train-rout-from-nakhchivan-to-mashhad-determined/
Train rout from Nakhchivan to Mashhad determined
10 October, 2016 16:58
Azerbaijan provided to Iranian side three railway carriages

Baku. 10 October. REPORT.AZ/ Azerbaijan provided to Iranian side three railway carriages for passenger train to be used for Nakhchivan-Mashhad route.

Report informs, 36-person compartments have been totally renovated.

Three carriages will be delivered with special locomotive to Iranian city Tabriz, where they will be linked to Tabriz-Mashhad train. Finally, the carriages will be delivered to Iranian city Julfa with separate locomotive and from there to Nakhchivan with locomotive of "Azerbaijan Railways".

Chairman of "Azerbaijan Railways" CJSC Javid Gurbanov didn’t rule out the possibility of opening company’s office in Iran after launch of Nakhchivan-Mashhad train route.

At present, "Azerbaijan Railways" has offices in Turkey, Russia, Kazakhstan and European countries. 


------------

The first reports about this project appeared in march 2016:
https://report.az/en/infrastructure...ational-rail-service-discussed-in-nakhchivan/

Opening of Nakhchivan-Tabriz-Tehran-Mashhad rail service discussed in Nakhchivan
2 March, 2016 17:07
They discussed mainly technical issues, including the train schedule and tariffs

Baku. 2 March. REPORT.AZ/ The first discussions on the opening of the Nakhchivan-Tabriz-Tehran-Mashhad international passenger rail service has been held in Nakhchivan.

Report informs, on behalf of Azerbaijan the meeting was attended by Madat Shikhamirov, deputy chief of the Department of Passenger Transportation at Azerbaijan Railways and Mahir Aliyev, director of Nakhchivan Railways. Mir Hossein Mousavi, Director General of Azerbaijan Railway Organization, and Murtaza Jaffar, Director General of Iran Railways Passenger Service.

They discussed mainly technical issues, including the train schedule and tariffs.

The preparatory meeting will be followed by a high-level gathering involving heads of Azerbaijani and Iranian railways due to take place in the coming days.


------------

Today Azerbaijan Railways wrote on their official Facebook-site (https://www.facebook.com/ADYQSC/) that the service will be launched soon:
https://www.facebook.com/ADYQSC/pho...638889392319/1813247878931418/?type=3&theater
"Tezliklə Naxçıvan-Məşhəd dəmir yolu xətti istifadəyə veriləcək."

Nachalnik


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## MarcVD (Dec 1, 2008)

Interesting... Second try, in fact. There was a Nakhchivan Tabriz train on the iranian schedule a few years ago and it disappeared one or two years later. Incidentally, this is the route that will probably replace the Van lake ferry in a few years. But what is the state of the gauge changing installation in Jolfa those days? With the russian gauge line cut on both sides at the armenian borders, it must not see a lot of traffic... 

Envoyé de mon GT-I9505 en utilisant Tapatalk


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

From Rail Journal:



> http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/asia/rzd-to-electrify-iranian-line.html?channel=540
> 
> *RZD to electrify Iranian line*
> Wednesday, December 14, 2016
> ...


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## urbastar (Oct 9, 2009)

*Iran, Russia Sign Contract to Manufacture 500 Wagons*

The Industrial Development and Renovation Organization of Iran has signed a joint venture contract with Russia’s CJSC Transmashholding to manufacture 500 wagons in Iran.

An IDRO press release published on Wednesday quoted the Iranian company’s deputy for expansion of industrial investment, Fardad Daliri, as saying that the contract stipulates “attracting investment and using up-to-date technology in the domestic manufacture of freight and passenger cars".

“In the first phase, only passenger cars will be produced,” Daliri added, without elaborating on the details of the contract, including its estimate value.

A conglomerate affiliated with the Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade, IDRO is active in a variety of fields, notably auto production, oil and gas as well as wagon manufacturing.

CJSC Transmashholding is known as the largest manufacturer of locomotives and rail equipment in Russia. It is the biggest supplier of rolling stock to JSC Russian Railways. The enterprise was established in April 2002. Dutch firm Breakers Investments BV and Alstom Transport, French engineering group, are among the company’s stakeholders.

Transmashholding has major customers in Bulgaria, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Serbia. The company manufactures and sells subway cars, passenger diesel locomotives, diesel engines, freight cars, flat cars and diesel trains.

Held back by an underdeveloped wagon manufacturing industry, Iran is opting for joint venture deals with international companies to upgrade technology and boost capacity, while reducing reliance on imports.

Iranian Rail Industries Development Company and Chinese rolling stock manufacturer Nanjing Puzhen Co. LTD. signed an agreement in October to jointly manufacture 215 wagons for subways trains across Iran.

Based on the agreement, IRIDC will be in charge of manufacturing the wagons.

Germany’s Siemens also agreed in October to supply components for 50 diesel-electric locomotives to Iran’s MAPNA Group. Another agreement was also signed between the two companies to jointly manufacture 70 electric locomotives to be used in the 926-km Tehran-Mashhad railroads, which is being electrified.

In January, Islamic Republic of Iran Railways and German conglomerate Siemens transportation subsidiary, Siemens Mobility, signed several memoranda of understanding in Tehran to develop Iran’s railroads. The agreements concern electrification of Tehran-Mashhad railroad and Tehran-Isfahan high-speed train, supply of 500 wagons, development of Iran’s railroad infrastructure and provision of consultation and technology.

Between 2,000 and 2,500 wagons currently in use in Iran should double by 2025, as per the 20-Year Vision Plan.

The government of President Hassan Rouhani plans to reduce the country's high fleet age to 15 years to increase the efficiency of trains. There is also massive demand for new wagons as several railroads are being built across the country.

By 2025, existing lines should be electrified and double-tracked and about 12,000 km of new lines are planned to nearly double the network’s size.

Major rail projects are currently under construction, including the electrification of the Tehran-Mashhad line, a high-speed train connecting Tehran to Isfahan and connectivity projects with Azerbaijan and Afghanistan.

The government is keen to curb imports to help Iranian companies meet most of the wagon demand domestically. Minister of Industries, Mining and Trade Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh has said his ministry is against importing wagons, as local companies are capable of meeting domestic demand.

Iran’s rail industry is in immediate need of some 1,500 wagons, experts believe, while merely a third of that figure has so far been produced domestically.

https://financialtribune.com/articl...ussia-sign-contract-to-manufacture-500-wagons


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## NiGhtPiSH (May 14, 2009)

Hey, I'm looking for pictures of any six axle electric locomotives in Iran, since I've seen none on the web.


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## urbastar (Oct 9, 2009)

*Photos: Crucial rail link inaugurated in western Iran *: http://theiranproject.com/blog/2017/05/08/photos-crucial-rail-link-inaugurated-western-iran/

*France to invest in Iran’s rail, shipbuilding industry*
*Azer News – The largest employer federation in France, MEDEF will invest in Iran’s mega-projects, including the projects in rail and shipbuilding sector.*

The federation signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran’s government-owned IDRO (Industrial Development & Renovation Organization of Iran) for cooperation in investment, investment insurance, and mega-projects, the official website of the IDRO reported.

Under the deal, the two sides will cooperate in infrastructure development, railway industry, energy and renewable energy projects, oil, gas and petrochemical industries as well as automotive, shipbuilding, Hi-tech, IT and transport sectors.

The document also envisages exchange of expertise and experience, transfer of technology and know-how and empowerment of Iranian managers.

According to the MoU, the capabilities of IDRO and its subsidiaries will be introduced to members of the MEDEF.

IDRO is one of Iran’s largest organizations involved in the country’s development and industrialization process.

MEDEF, has more than 750,000 member firms, 90 percent of them being small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees each. The federation is engaged in lobbying at local, regional, national, and EU-wide levels.

http://theiranproject.com/blog/2017/05/08/france-invest-irans-rail-shipbuilding-industry/


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## badgir (Feb 17, 2009)

NiGhtPiSH said:


> Hey, I'm looking for pictures of any six axle electric locomotives in Iran, since I've seen none on the web.


You will not find any as there aren't. The only electric locomotives of Iranian Railways are RC4 type. They have 4 axles.









Picture taken in Jolfa station, April 2016.


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## MarcVD (Dec 1, 2008)

Isn't there also another type of electric loco used on a suburban line in the north of Tehran ? Chinese rolling stock if I remember well. But I do not think they are 6 axles...


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## badgir (Feb 17, 2009)

MarcVD said:


> Isn't there also another type of electric loco used on a suburban line in the north of Tehran ? Chinese rolling stock if I remember well. But I do not think they are 6 axles...


Yes, Tehran-Karaj suburban line also has electric locomotives. It is part of Tehran's subway network (line Nr 5).

No, also these locomotives are 4-axle.









This picture was taken in May 2015. I think it was in Ecbatan station. It is not very easy to take pictures on the subway network as it is strictly forbidden and guards get easily angry...


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## tjrgx (Oct 12, 2013)

*Tehran – Mashhad electrification loan signed*

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...hran-mashhad-electrification-loan-signed.html

IRAN: A US$1·5bn loan agreement to finance electrification of the 926 km Tehran – Mashhad main line was signed by China EximBank on July 25. Iran’s Bank of Industry & Mine will act as the Iranian government’s guarantor.

The 25 kV 50 Hz electrification project forms part of a programme to upgrade the route to raise the maximum speed from 160 km/h to 200 km/h, reduce journey times from 12 h to 6 h and increase capacity to 33 million passengers and 10 million tonnes of freight per year by 2032.

Planning for the electrification has been underway since 2012. In June 2014 a contract to install and maintain overhead equipment and procure 70 locomotives was awarded to a consortium of Chinese companies China National Machinery Import & Export Corp, SU Power and local industrial group MAPNA. A year later Iran and China reached an agreement for the project to be financed through Chinese loans. Work was ceremonially launched by President Hassan Rouhani in February 2016.

The overall cost is now put at US$2·56bn, of which two-thirds is to be financed by the Chinese government at a low-interest rates and one-third would be covered by China Export & Credit Insurance Corp.


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## Da18be (Jul 17, 2012)

Tehran-Qom-Isfahan high speed rail I under construction? When it will open?


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## urbastar (Oct 9, 2009)

https://www.forbes.com/sites/wadesh...lds-rail-industry-goes-to-feast/#1bfefa3e1ebf

*Iran: Where World Rail Industry Goes to Feast
*

W ith most sanctions lifted, Iran is going all-in on its potential to become a transport hub in the heart of Eurasia, returning the country to its traditional position as a vital link between East and West.

However, Iran’s transportation dreams have a major problem in the current reality: Decades of sanctions have left the country’s rail lines archaic and in disrepair.

To fix this, Iran is devoting 1% of its oil and gas sales to rail development, amounting to a roughly $25 billion initiative to revitalize its rail network and add 10,000 kilometers of new rail lines by 2025—creating a yearly demand for roughly 8,000-10,000 new wagons in the process.

Iran’s rail ambitions are currently a shining beacon for rail engineering and rolling stock firms from all over the world, who are lined up at the gates of Tehran licking their chops in gleeful anticipation for the infrastructure building melee that is about to begin, reads an article published in Forbes on Tuesday. Below is the full text:

China

China was Iran’s economic lifeline during the period of heavy sanctions and now Iran is a fundamental link in the country’s Belt and Road Initiative—a program of such importance to Beijing that it is now written into the Chinese Constitution.

As part of a goal to boost China-Iran trade to $600 billion per year within the next decade, China is working hard to reinvigorate Iran’s railroad sector.

In February, the first freight train from China arrived in Tehran and a few months later, China’s Export-Import Bank inked a $1.5-billion deal to provide funds to electrify the rail line from Tehran to Mashhad, along with promises to invest $9 billion in over two dozen other projects in other industries, including electricity, petrochemicals, metals and oil and gas.

The Tehran-Mashhad line is one of the biggest developments in Iran’s emerging rail menagerie. This 926-kilometer railroad is expected to be extended into a 3,200-kilometer New Silk Road behemoth, that will go all the way through Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to Urumqi, the capital of China’s Xinjiang Province. This line is also slated to link up with Iran’s western railroad network that leads to Turkey and Europe beyond.

Germany

A consortium of companies from Germany has already vouched $3.5 billion for rail development projects in Iran, which consist of a new signaling system for the Tehran-Tabriz railroad, new electric and diesel wagons, and high-speed connection lines.

Last October, Siemens signed two deals to supply 50 diesel-electric locomotives and 70 electric locomotives for the soon to be revitalized Tehran-Mashhad railroad.

Italy

In July, Italy’s state rail company Ferrovie dello Stato signed a $1.37 billion deal with Iran to build a high-speed railroad between the cities of Qom and Arak.

France

Not to be outdone by its European counterparts, France’s Alstom signed a joint venture to set up a factory to construct 1,000 railroad cars in Iran. While in 2015, the French architecture firm AREP committed to a $7 million project that would see them revitalize three Iranian railroad stations.

Japan

Not wanting to be left out of the Eurasian infrastructure game, Japan has signed deals with Iran to provide $10 billion in funding for railroad-related ventures, including two railroads to link together northern and southern Tehran.

Russia

Transmashholding, Russia’s largest rail equipment manufacturer, recently signed a $2.5 billion deal with Iran to set up a joint venture to produce rolling stock for the country’s ever-growing rail network.

This is while in 2015, Russian Railways signed a $1 billion deal to electrify and put up the signaling apparatus on a section of rail line between Garmsar and Gorgan.

Conclusion

Tehran’s rail ambitions have direct synergy with the development strategies of surrounding countries, as China’s Belt and Road Initiative, India and Russia’s International North-South Transport Corridor, Kazakhstan’s Nurly Zhol, India and Japan’s Asia-Africa Growth Corridor, as well as Azerbaijan’s endeavors to build up its transportation economy to diversify away from reliance on oil and gas all overlap in Iran.

By revolutionizing its railroad sector, Iran essentially puts itself back on the map as the central hub of Eurasia.


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## aquaticko (Mar 15, 2011)

> *Iran orders 450 DMU cars from Hyundai Rotem*
> *HYUNDAI Rotem announced on December 4 that it has been awarded a Won 929.3bn ($US 856m) contract by Iranian Islamic Republic Railways (RAI) to supply 150 three-car DMUs for Raja Passenger Train Company.*
> 
> 
> ...


Glad to see some decent-speed units entering Iran's fleet; anyone have a guess as to where they might be going into service?


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## urbastar (Oct 9, 2009)

Tehran railway station :


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## Woonsocket54 (May 7, 2005)

https://travel.railturkey.org/2018/06/15/turkey-iran-train-service-to-start/

"*Turkey-Iran train service to start*"


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## tallmark (Oct 15, 2012)

urbastar said:


> https://www.forbes.com/sites/wadesh...lds-rail-industry-goes-to-feast/#1bfefa3e1ebf
> 
> *Iran: Where World Rail Industry Goes to Feast
> *
> ...


Yes, then came the new US sanctions against Iran, and all these projects died in the incubators...


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## danielwipf (Jan 18, 2011)

Hello everybody

I would like to ask the group here if anyone has any information for the line Tabriz - Jolfa. The last time I was there only diesel locomotives were running on the electrified line. Are the Swedish Rc running again or is the switch to diesel operation permanent?

thanks a lot


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## rogerfarnworth (Jan 7, 2019)

Greetings 

I am hoping to pull together some information about the early history of railways in Iran. Does anyone have any pointers for where best to look?

Best wishes

Roger


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## rogerfarnworth (Jan 7, 2019)

I have been working on a series of articles about the Railways of Iran. This is the first. It focusses on the first line built between Tehran and Rey and operating from 1888 to around 1960-61.

Railways in Iran – Part 1 – Tehran to Rey 1888



> I have been reading old copies of the Railway Magazine from the 1950s and 1960s. The old small format magazines somehow seem more attractive than the glossy larger format modern magazines, perhaps that is a sign of ageing!
> 
> In the January 1963 edition of the magazine there is a long article about the railways of Iran which is based on a visit in 1961 to Iran by M.H. Baker MA.
> 
> Until the 1930s, Iran was relatively isolated, but from around 1865 various European Countries had sought concessions to construct railways but the Imperial government continued to value isolation above integration.


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## rogerfarnworth (Jan 7, 2019)

This is the next installment covering the Railways of Iran. ......

Railways in Iran – Part 2 – 1910 to 1945



> *The Trans-Iranian Railway* - When completed, the Trans-Iranian Railway was an immense achievement. It ran for 850 miles and linked the South and North of the country. For the first time the northern agricultural lands and the Caspian Sea ports would be linked to ports and oilfields in the south. It linked the capital Tehran with the Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea. The railway connected Bandar Shah (now: Bandar Torkaman) in the north and Bandar Shahpur (now: Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni) in the south via Ahvaz, Ghom and Tehran.


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## rogerfarnworth (Jan 7, 2019)

After the War, Iran's railways appear to have experienced a period of relative stagnation. Significant developments did not occur until the 1950s.

Railways in Iran – Part 3 – 1945 to the 1960s



> The Cambridge History of Iran - Volume 1, which was published in 1968 says that after shortages disappeared a pattern became established, and by 1968, railways provided the basic freight-transport service from the Persian Gulf ports to Tehran and the eastern Caspian Sea region. The authors said, "Branch lines have been extended to Tabriz and Mashhad (Meshed), mitigating to a high degree the relative decline of these cities since 1925. A 120 mile westward extension of the railway line from Tabriz, now being built under the sponsorship of the Central Treaty Organization, will connect the Iranian and Turkish railways. (It was completed between Tehran and Tabriz by 1960.) An eastward extension from Qum, south of Tehran, is now complete as far as Yazd (_but not by 1961 when Baker visited_) and will ultimately connect with the Pakistan railway system in Baluchistan. During World War I a line of this system (then part of India) was extended as far as Zahidin in Iran, a short distance from the border. Service to Zahidin is provided by Pakistan National Railways, but there is no regular schedule." The line when built was 5ft. 6in. gauge.


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## rogerfarnworth (Jan 7, 2019)

The rule of the Shah in the 1970s became increasingly authoritarian. The royal family appropriated a large amount of the country's income for themselves and gradually the clerics became less and less content with the ruling classes. The result, as we know, was major political change at the end of the decade.



> My recollections of the 1960s are vague. As a child I was almost entirely focussed on my immediate environment. The 1970s were a different matter. Events in the Middle East and in Iran began to intrude on my childhood. New of conflicts in Palestine and in the wider region became part of my consciousness.
> 
> Many of us will be aware that Shah left Iran for exile in January 1979, as the last Persian monarch, leaving his duties to a regency council and Shapour Bakhtiar who was an opposition-based prime minister. Ayatollah Khomeini was invited back to Iran by the government, and returned to Tehran to be greeted by several million Iranians.


The railways continued to serve the country and saw some significant developments during the decade.

I hope you find this next article interesting. ... 









Railways in Iran – Part 4 – 1970s


My recollections of the 1960s are vague. As a child I was almost entirely focussed on my immediate environment. The 1970s were a different matter. Events in the Middle East and in Iran began to int…




rogerfarnworth.com


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## rogerfarnworth (Jan 7, 2019)

While undertaking the research for these articles on the railways in Iran. I was delighted to find some material in a number of European language posted on a thread about the Railways of Iran on the SJK Postvagen forum. This next post is numbered out of sequence as I have already begun work of the period from the 1980s onwards (which will be Part 5 of the series), but the material in the linked post is really interesting (in my view). I have had to use Google Translate to get the first draft of the different papers referred to in the link article and then I have had to clarify or paraphrase a number of things to make the text work in English. ....

Railways in Iran – Part 6 – Foreign Articles – Collection A


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## btrs (Jan 24, 2016)

I was just browsing through Railfaneurope's stock lists of Iran Railways, and saw this type mentioned: MAP24-S90.
Some Googling found me this video:





A press release from its manufacturer Mapna is scarce on information:


https://www.mapnagroup.com/en/news/railway/mapna-unveils-freight-locomotive



Another video with the actual assembly going on, instead of the propaganda video above:





Other sites suggest that this type is based on GT26-CW(2) locomotives. So are these really new built locomotives from scratch, or just heavily rebuilt (existing) GT26-CW's (similar to what Gredelj/NREC did for Morocco and Israeli railways) ?


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## rogerfarnworth (Jan 7, 2019)

btrs said:


> I was just browsing through Railfaneurope's stock lists of Iran Railways, and saw this type mentioned: MAP24-S90.
> Some Googling found me this video:
> 
> 
> ...


Good question about these locos. There was a significant tradition in various countries of taking over designs by others. This could be built into the contact, I believe I have read somewhere that Hitachi pursued that firm of contract with Iranian Railways. They built the first batch of locomotives themselves then agreed to the second batch being assembled in Iran and finally allowing Iran to build a third batch themselves. Sorry, cannot remember more than this at the moment but it would mean that the design was still Hitachi's but the construction was fully Iranian. I guess this is a little like Fiat cars becoming Lada cars?


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