United Nation Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Transport and Tourism Division

Iranian railways inaugurates new Trans-Asian Railway link

President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Khatami officially inaugurated a new railway line between Mashad and Bafq in the eastern part of the country on 3 May 2005.

The 790-km single-track line facilitates access to the Persian Gulf for the landlocked countries of Central Asia, reducing transit times from 6 to 4 days and costs by up to 20 per cent, said Mohammad Rahmati, Minister of Roads and Transportation. At home, it links the eastern, northern and southern provinces of the country.

The line is an important component of ESCAP’s Trans-Asian Railway Network. In this regard, the Minister mentioned the support of ESCAP as well as other subregional international organizations in the development of international rail transit corridors at the inauguration ceremony.

With 2,342 km of rail routes under construction and another 2,138 km under final study, the line is part of wider efforts made by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to develop its rail infrastructure and promote international rail freight corridors.

In his speech President Khatami stressed that the line had been designed and constructed by local contractors and paid tribute to the engineering success that it represented for the country. Construction started in 2001 and was finished in four years, two years ahead of schedule. Built with monoblock prestressed concrete sleepers and offering an axle-load of 25 tonnes, the line is designed for speeds of 160 km/h and 120 km/h for passenger and freight trains respectively.

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