TEHRAN - Iranian railway fleet received 500 new domestically-made and renovated wagons and locomotives worth 21.7 trillion rials (about $47.1 million) in a ceremony attended by Transport and Urban Development Minister Mehrdad Bazrpash on Wednesday.

As reported by the Transport Ministry portal, of the mentioned 500 wagons and locomotives, 453 were new freight wagons, six were new locomotives, and nine were renovated locomotives.

The railway fleet also received 10 new passenger wagons as well as 22 renovated ones.

This was the fourth round of addition to the country’s railway fleet in the current Iranian calendar year (ends on March 20).

Overall, 1,660 wagons and locomotives have been added to the country’s railway fleet in the current year.

The development of the railway sector has been one of the macro policies of the Iranian government as it has been emphasized by the general policies of the country’s national development plans.

In this regard, the national railway fleet has constantly received new domestically-made locomotives and wagons in the past and current Iranian calendar years.

As the first stage of the program for the renovation of the country’s railway fleet in the current Iranian year, 156 freight wagons, three locomotives including two renovated ones and a newly made one by MAPNA Group, as well as 10 renovated passenger wagons had joined the railway fleet in early July 2022.

In the second stage of the program, 413 new domestically-made locomotives and wagons worth over $35 million were added to the railway fleet in late October last year.

As for the third stage, the railway fleet received 428 new domestically-made and renovated wagons and locomotives in late December.

Advantages such as consuming less fuel and creating less pollution as well as high safety attach priority to the railway when compared to some other transportation systems, and make its development economically viable.

EF/MA