TEHRAN – The managing director of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (known as RAI) has said using rail transportation has made the country $1.3 billion in fuel savings during the previous Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20).

According to Miad Salehi, more than 29.67 million passengers were transported through the railway network in the previous Iranian year, which was a record in the history of the country’s rail transportation, IRIB reported.

The development of the railway network will ultimately lead to an increase in using the railway transportation which, in addition to having economical and safety benefits, will have significant positive impacts on the environment by reducing fuel consumption and preventing air pollution, the official said.

Mentioning a recent comprehensive plan for the development of the maritime economy in the country, Salehi said the promotion of railway transportation and transit is a major step towards the realization of the goals set for the maritime economy.

In this regard, the connection of the country’s industrial centers to the railway network and the development of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) are of utmost importance, he said.

He further mentioned a plan for the renovation of the railway fleet, saying that currently, the average age of the country’s freight transportation fleet is about 25 years, which shows improvement in comparison to the previous years.

“During the previous year, we managed to manufacture 1,598 new freight wagons, which was about 48 percent more than the preceding year (1400) when we produced about 1,080 new freight wagons”, Salehi said.

According to the official, all the above-mentioned measures have been taken in order to encourage people and investors to partake in the development of the railway industry in the country.

EF/MA