TEHRAN – Head of Raja Rail Transportation Company said 77 new passenger wagons are going to be added to the country’s railway transportation fleet before the Persian New Year (Nowrouz) holiday (which starts on March 21).

“Despite financial issues, in the last 27 months, over 50 new passenger cars have been purchased and added to the country’s railway fleet.” ILNA quoted Mohammad Rajabi as saying.

He also mentioned the renovation of more than 67 worn wagons, saying "In addition to renovating this number of wagons, we have managed to purchase 27 second-hand passenger cars that are in excellent condition."

“A total of 77 new wagons have been added to the country’s passenger railway transportation fleet.” Rajabi added.

Raja is an arm of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways which is in charge of handling passenger transportation.

According to Saeed Mohammadzadeh, the head of Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (known as RAI), development of Iranian railways requires more than 32,000 wagons and locomotives in the next four years when the railway infrastructures are developed in the country.

“The national network fleet needs over 30,000 cargo wagons, 2,000 passenger wagons and 650 locomotives in the next four years.” The official says.

Earlier in April 2018, Mir-Hassan Mousavi, the deputy managing director at RAI, said 90 passenger wagons will be added to the Iranian railway fleet in the current Iranian calendar year.

At the time the official put the current number of passenger wagons at 1,308 with the average life of 25 years.

EF/MA