TEHRAN (Iran News) – Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development and Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI) refuted some allegations on the decline of the transit from Iran and said the transit from Iran has grown by 29 percent despite the pandemic.
Speaking to ILNA, Rasouli said several corridors are active in Iran like the Caspian Sea’s north, middle and south corridors as each and Iran can have a slice of China’s 4b tons of imports and exports and therefore reports on elimination of Iran from these corridors are either because of lack of information or it is part of painting a black picture policy for injecting hopelessness into the country.
On the rise in the country’s railroad borders and connection of Armenia to Iran’s railroad, he said the issue of transit in all spheres of transportation due to Iran’s strategic location in the world map and its access to the free waters in the southern and northern ports is considered a strategic bridge in the region and east-west and south-north corridors which connect northern neighbors of Iran to Europe and to the Persian Gulf.
On the rise in the number of railroad links to the neighboring countries, he said fortunately Iran has several rail borders with its neighboring countries in the east, west and north and soon with connection of Shalamcheh to Basra a new rail border towards Iraq will be shaped.
He added that by the way connection of Iran via Soraya Spring to Turkey is another important project of RAI and the studies for this project are underway and the Turkish side has voiced its readiness and Iran-Turkey border via Soraya Spring will be Iran’s the second rail border with Turkey.
On the importance of transporting goods via the Armenia rail route to Russia, Rasouli said in the north of the country, three rail links have been launched and currently Iran’s trade exchange with Turkmenistan and the Central Asian countries and China are done via the eastern connection from the Incheboroon to Sarakhs borders.
He also pointed to the rail exchanges between Iran and Turkey, he said that the rail exchanges between Iran and Turkey was over 650,000 tons last year and this volume of exchanges has been the highest in the past 10 years and since last year and despite COVID-19 restrictions and closure of the borders for almost 4 months, the amount of rail transit of Iran grew 29 percent last year comparing to its preceding year.
