TEHRAN - Train services between Van and Tehran will restart after a hiatus of several months.

The resumption of the service was agreed in a recent meeting of Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Farzaneh Sadeq, in a meeting with Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu, discussed the resumption among several other agreements to boost bilateral cooperation.

Uraloglu announced that ticket sales for the Van-Tehran train will open on Feb. 20, Türkiye Today reported on Wednesday.

The Iranian minister noted that reintroducing the Van-Tehran train will boost both trade and tourism. She stated that the agreement will help attract more visitors to both countries.

“Resuming Tehran-Van passenger services will play a key role in increasing the number of tourists traveling between our nations,” she said.

“We evaluated ways to expand transit cargo transport on both road and rail. Strengthening rail and road connections, particularly in the Cesmisureyya-Dilucu section, was also a key topic,” the Iranian minister added.

The two ministers also focused on improving land, air, and rail transportation.  Uraloglu stressed the need to eliminate trade barriers and improve connectivity. “We discussed how to remove mutual taxation and make road transport more efficient. Our teams will meet to develop practical solutions,” he said.

Sadeq described Türkiye as Iran’s gateway to the West and Iran as Türkiye’s gateway to the East. “Increasing border crossings will benefit transit cargo transport,” she added.

Both ministers also agreed to create a joint committee to resolve transportation challenges.

AM