Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 27
By Temkin Jafarov - Trend:
Iran is implementing projects for improving the international south railway corridor south in its territory. Work is under way, director of Iran's railway administration Mohsen Pour Seyed Aghaie told the media in Iran on Feb. 26, Iran's television Iribnews reported.
Aghaie stressed that the southern corridor begins in China, stretches through the territory of Myanmar, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria and connects with Europe.
Iran constructed the railway lines to the towns of Kerman, Bam and Zahedan and connected the railways of the country with Pakistan's railways to develop the South Rail Corridor in 2009.
He added that currently there is also other preparatory work but did not give further details.
The rail freight transportation among Iran, Turkey and Pakistan has been implemented since July 2012.
Three particular routes of international importance were revealed as part of this corridor.
The first route (TAR-SI) begins in Kunming (China), passes through the territory of Myanmar, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan , Iran and Turkey, and ends on the border with Bulgaria in Kapıkule.
The distance from Kunming to Kapıkule will hit 11,700 kilometers. Some 84 percent of this line has been prepared. Some 15 percent will be constructed mainly through an impassable mountainous terrain and one percent includes ferry routes.
The total distance between Kunming and Frankfurt will hit approximately 13,500 kilometers.
This route will cross seven state borders (five more borders to the west of Turkey) between eastern and western extremities and will have three different tracks - 1000 mm, 1435 mm and 1676 mm.
The second route (TAR-S2) starts in Thailand. It will stretch to the west or north-west to Myanmar and join the existing railway network of this country. It will connect with TAR-S1 there. In case of using TAR-S2 route, a total distance between Bangkok and Kapıkule will hit 11,500 kilometers and 13,200 kilometers between Bangkok and Frankfurt. This route will cross seven state borders with the need to move to another track in the four points.
The third route (TAR-S3) will connect the Central Asian landlocked countries, with Europe and South / South-East Asia. This route will start from Sarakhs on the border between Iran and Turkmenistan and will connect Sarakhs with the border between Iran and Turkey in Razi.
The route will pass from Sarakhs through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to Aktogay and then to the Dostyk border crossing. It will pass through China, in the direction of Urumqi , Lanzhou, Shenzhou or Shenzhen port in the south or Beijing in the north or the Chinese ports Shanghai, Lianyungang , etc.
This route can also be extended from Aktogay northward and can connect to the Transsiberian corridor in Omsk or Novosibirsk. While passing from Sarakhs through Fariman, Bafq (or Tehran) and Sirjan, this route could also connect with the port of Bandar Abbas.
Translated by NH
Edited by CN