TEHRAN – The construction operations of the underground section of the Tehran-Tabriz railroad to the length of 4,165 meters in district 17 and 18 of Tehran started on Monday in a ceremony attended by President Mahmud Ahmadinejad.

Also present in the ceremony were the acting minister of roads and transportation Hamid Behbahani, chairman of Tehran Islamic City Council, and a number of national officials, IRNA reported.
“The cabinet ratified the plan in 2004 allocating $107 million to it,” the Managing Director of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways Company (IRC) Hassan Ziari told reporters.
“The plan is scheduled to be completed within 18 months,” he added.
This official also noted that the IRC was following up many other projects and some like the Tehran-Varamin suburban railroad were progressing well.
“We also have signed the contracts related to the Tehran-Qom express line and the contractors have begun work,” he noted.
Ziari referred to Tehran-Mashhad electric rail project as another venture followed by IRC.
“The President has emphasized many times on this particular project,” he said.
“When finalized the average speed of our trains in this line will reach 200 km/h and we have foreseen the purchase of 70 locomotives for this project,” this official added.
The IRC Managing Director also mentioned the newly signed contract between his company and Iran Heavy Diesel Engine MFG. Co. (DESA), which is a subsidiary of Iran’s Ministry of Industries and Mines to build national locomotives.
The contract value is approximately $10.9 million.
According to the contract, DESA will manufacture locomotive parts in three phases of 25 percent, 55 percent, and 100 percent, respectively.
“Currently, only 25 percent of locomotive parts are being built inside the country,” Ziari noted while stating that this contract is considered a great leap towards self-sufficiency in this field