Tehran, Iran, June 4
By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:
Iran plans to construct 1,800 kilometers of railway by the end of the current Iranian fiscal year (March 20), says Masoud Nasr Azadani, deputy manager of the Islamic Republic Railways for construction and development.
If financial resources are prepared, 600 kilometers of railroad will also be railed, he told Fars news agency June 4.
However, he underlined that rail transport comprises less than 10 percent of the country's transit volume.
There are plans to increase Iran's rail transport capacity to 10 million tons in a year, the official noted.
Azadani expressed regret that in the past decade, despite huge oil incomes, Iran has managed to build only 180 kilometers of railway per year.
Currently 10,000 kilometers of railroad is under construction, with 4.7 thousand kilometers under physical operations and 3.5 thousand kilometers undergoing technical studies.