Iran, China Ink Contract to Electrify Tehran-Mashhad Railroad: VP
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri said the country has signed a contract with China to implement a project to electrify the main railroad connecting the capital, Tehran, to the northeastern city of Mashhad.
Speaking at a ceremony to inaugurate new stations of urban trains in the holy city of Mashhad on Friday, Jahangiri said the urban and metro trains are the best solution to resolve traffic problems in metropolises.
“We insisted on importing new rail technologies into the country,” he said, adding that the establishment of Tehran-Qom-Isfahan high-speed train line is among the measures taken in this regard.
The contract on the electrification of Tehran-Mashhad railroad, which can transport huge numbers of passenger, has been signed with China, the first vice-president noted.
The Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s administration has ramped up efforts to boost the country’s railroad industry.
Managing director of the Iranian Railway Company (RAJA) had announced earlier that electrifying Tehran-Mashhad line, which stretches some 900 kilometers, would allow for faster trains, save energy and increase the number of train passengers to 32 million people a year.
Once completed, the rail route could accommodate electric trains running at 200 km per hour, traveling between the two cities in 6 hours.
The contract had been finalized during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Iran back in January 2016 but had not been signed due to various problems.
