TEHRAN- Iranian railway fleet received 88 new domestically-made locomotives and wagons in a ceremony attended by Transport and Urban Development Minister Mohammad Eslami and Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (known as RAI) Saeed Rasouli on Tuesday, IRNA reported.

The current Iranian calendar year (began on March 20) is named the year of “Surge in Production” by Leader of Islamic Revolution Seyed Ali Khamenei, and since the year start, the national railway fleet has received new domestically-made locomotives and wagons in two stages.

The first time, which was on April 28, the fleet received 56 new domestically-made locomotives and wagons.

As reported by the portal of Transport Ministry, over 1.25 trillion rials (about $29.7 million) was invested by six domestic companies for the manufacturing of the mentioned wagons and locomotives.

According to Eslami, all the locomotives and wagons added to the country’s railway fleet, have been made by domestic companies during the first month of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-April 19), to register a 143-percent rise compared to the same period last year.

In the mentioned month, some 50 freight wagons, two passenger wagons, and two locomotives were produced by four domestic companies and two locomotives entered the country's rail fleet after complete reconstruction.

In late December 2019, the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways celebrated the addition of 243 domestically-made wagons and locomotives to the country’s fleet.

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

Back in September 2019, another 213 domestically-made wagons and locomotives had been added to the country’s fleet.

MA/MA