BAKU, Azerbaijan, Mar. 9
By Elnur Baghishov – Trend:
Iran has prepared a comprehensive plan in order to transport 130 million tons of cargo via railways, Deputy Minister for Roads and Urban Development, and the CEO of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI) Saeed Rasouli said, Trend reports citing the ministry.
Rasouli said that if the money for this plan is provided, it can be realized within 5 years.
Rasouli added that 9 cargo centers in connection with the railways were put into operation during the anniversary days of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. These nine cargo centers have added 5.5 million tons to the cargo transportation potential of the Iranian railways.
The minister noted that despite the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in Iran, the cargo transportation through railways has increased by 10 percent since the beginning of the current Iranian (March 20, 2020), compared to the same period last year. This increase is estimated to continue by the end of the current year (March 21, 2021).
Reportedly, various events are held in Iran every year from February 1 to 11 to mark the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution (1979). As many as 9 cargo centers were put into operation in Iran’s railway sector during these events in the current year. It is estimated that about 30 trillion rials (about $713 million) worth of fuel annually will be saved with the construction of this cargo center.
In general, 48.5 million tons of goods were transported through railways in Iran in the last Iranian year (from March 21, 2019 through March 19, 2020).