TEHRAN - Head of Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (known as RAI) said domestic manufacturers are set to supply over 1000 locomotives and wagons and also 40,000 tons of rails to RAI by the end of the next Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2021), IRIB reported.

According to Saeed Rasouli, after Mapna Group unveiled their first Iranian-made freight locomotive on the sidelines of the 7th International Exhibition of Rail Transportation, Related Industries and Equipment in mid-June, RAI ordered the company to manufacture a series of freight and passenger wagons and locomotives, which their production will begin soon.

“Mapna will soon begin the manufacturing process and the wagons will gradually enter the country's rail fleet within the next two years,” Rasouli said.

“In the first four months of the current Iranian year (March 21-July 22), total domestic products entered into the country's rail freight fleet increased by 64 percent compared to the same period a year ago, and this trend will continue to increase,” he added.

He also mentioned the manufacturing of rail segments in the country (in a project called National Rail) saying the manufacturing of national rail is also underway and the country is self-sufficient in this regard.

In December 2018, RAI’s former head Saeed Mohammadzadeh had said that 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.

Speaking with the media, Mohammadzadeh said the national network fleet needs over 30,000 cargo wagons, 2,000 passenger wagons and 650 locomotives in the next four years.

The official emphasized the role of private sector in the county’s railway industry, saying that the private sector can contribute to supplying the needed wagons and locomotives through supportive packages offered by the government.

Last year, during the 6th International Exhibition of Rail Transportation, Related Industries and Equipment, dubbed RAILEXPO 2018, Iran unveiled the first ever Iranian-made locomotive engine.

Currently, Iran has 13,000 kilometers of railway laid, and based on the country’s Sixth National Five-Year Development Plan (2016-2021), the railway network is due to expand to more than 16,400 kilometers.

EF/MA