TEHRAN- In a ceremony on Sunday, some 243 new domestically-made locomotives and wagons were added to the railway fleet of Iran, IRNA reported.

The ceremony was attended by Iranian Transport and Urban Development Minister Mohammad Eslami and the Head of Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (known as RAI) Saied Rasouli in Tehran.

As reported, valued at 3.4 trillion rials (about $80.9 million), the mentioned wagons and locomotives have been made by three different companies namely, Wagon Pars, Iranian Rail Industries Development Company and Foolad Derakhshan Arak Company.

Back in September, RAI celebrated the addition of 213 domestically-made wagons and locomotives to the country’s fleet.

During the ceremony for unveiling the mentioned locomotives and wagons, Rasouli said the number of domestically produced locomotives and wagons was increased by 58 percent, adding that according to a memorandum signed last year with the Budget and Planning Organization (BPO), by the end of the next Iranian calendar year (March 2021) another 974 locomotives will be added to the country’s rail fleet.

According to the official, a total of 1791 locomotives and wagons worth 20 trillion rials (about $476.2 million) are planned to be added to the county’s railway fleet.
Back in June, Rasouli had announced that 20 trillion rials (about $476.2 million) has been allocated for renovation of 1000 passenger and freight wagons and also locomotives in the current Iranian calendar year.

He said this amount has been allocated by the Planning and Budget Organization.

In this year, which is named as the year of "Pickup in Production" by the Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, all efforts of RAI are for renovating the railway fleet of the country by relying on domestic producers, the official further stressed.

According to Saeed Mohammadzadeh, the previous head of RAI, the 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.

EF/MA

Photo: Iranian Transport and Urban Development Minister Mohammad Eslami (L) and Head of Islamic Republic of Iran Railways Saeid Rasouli (middle) unveil 243 new domestically-made locomotives and wagons on Sunday, to be added to the country's fleet.