Islamic Republic of Iran Railways

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Railway of
No. stations
360
Highest elevation2500 m
Lowest elevation-20 m

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The Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (abbreviated as IRIR, or sometimes as RAI, or as IRI Railway) (

Ministry of Roads & Urban Development is the state agency that oversees the IRIR. Some 33 million tonnes of goods and 29 million passengers are transported annually by the rail transportation network, accounting for 9 percent and 11 percent of all transportation in Iran, respectively (2011).[2]

History

See also: History of rail transport in Iran

Qajar dynasty

See also:
Tehran – Rey Railway
Narrow-gauge railway Tehran – Rey

In 1886, during the time of

Sufiyan–Sharafkhaneh line (53 km) in 1916, and the Mirjaveh–Zahedan
line (93 km) in 1920.

World War II

The 1,392 km (865 mi) long Trans-Iranian Railway from Bandar Shah on the Caspian Sea to Bandar Shahpur on the Persian Gulf was opened during the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1939. The railroad was built with rail weighing 33 kilograms per metre (67 lb/yd) and required more than 3000 bridges. There were 126 tunnels in the Zagros mountains, the longest of which was 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi). Grades averaged 1.5 percent south of Tehran, but then increased to 2.8 percent to cross the 2,220-metre (7,270 ft) pass between Tehran and the Caspian Sea.

Anglo-Soviet Invasion of Iran

After the

Arvand Rud river. In 1943, 3,473 American soldiers of the Military Railway Service began running trains between the Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea using ALCO RS-1 locomotives rebuilt with 3-axle trucks and designated RSD-1.[5] The Americans set up headquarters in Ahvaz, but were unable to tolerate the daytime heat, and generally operated the railway at night.[6] The Persian Gulf Command ran trains day and night.[7]

Challenging construction

See also:
Construction in Iran

The

ruling grades
. Much of the terrain was unmapped when construction took place, and its geology unknown. Several stretches of line, including tunnels, were built through unsuitable geology, and had to be replaced before the line opened. For example

  • one tunnel went through a salt dome so that ground water was bound to dissolve the foundations; this tunnel and its approaches had to be completely replaced.

The railways have undergone extensions including the 1977 linking to the western railway system at the

Mashad–Sarakhs extension as part of the Silk Road railway to link to the landlocked Central Asian
Countries.

Railway construction

Following the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran, American and British railroad crews pose alongside a locomotive, ca. 1943.
Mazanderan Province on the Gorgan — Bandar Torkaman
line, 2007.

In December 2014, a rail line from Iran opened to Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. The opening of the line marks the first direct rail link between Iran, Kazakhstan and China, and upon completion of the Marmaray rail project direct rail transport between China and Europe (while avoiding Russia) will be possible.[8]

Start End Length
in km		 Start End
of Route of Construction
Tabriz
Jolfa
 148 1912 1916
Zahedan Mirjaveh 94 1920 1921
Tehran Bandar Torkaman 461 1928 1938
Tehran
Bandar Šâhpur
 928 1928 1939
Ahvaz Khorramshahr 121 1942 1943
Sar Bandar
Mahshahr
 12 1950 1951
Garmsar Mashhad 812 1938 1958
Tehran Tabriz 736 1939 1959
Gorgan Bandar Torkaman 35 1960 1961
Sufian Razi 139 1912 1971
Qom Zarand 847 1939 1971
Isfahan Zarrin Shahr 111 1969 1972
Zarand Kerman 80 1975 1979
Bafq
Bandar-Abbas
 626 1982 1995
Mashhad Sarakhs 165 1993 1997
Aprin Maleki 24 1993 1997
Badrud
Meibod
 254 1996 1998
Chadormalu
Meibod
 219 1992 1999
Mohammediya-2 Mohammediya-1 6 1994 1999
Aprin Mohammediya-2 122 1994 1999
Rostamkola Amir Abad Port 25 1996 2001
Kerman Bam 225 1999 2002
Bafq Torbat-e Heydarieh 800 1992 2004
Bam Zahedan 546 2000 2009
Isfahan Shiraz 506 2001 2009
Torbat-e Heydarieh Khaf (Sangan Iron Mine) 146[9] 2004 2010[10]
Khorramshahr Shalamcheh (Iraqi border) 16 2009 2012[11]
Gorgan Etrek 88 2009 2014[12][13]
Tehran
Hamedan
 268 2001 2017[14]
Khaf Shamtiq (Afghan border) 78[15] 2007 2017[16]
Arak Kermanshah 267 2001 2018[17]
Maragheh Urmia 183 2003 2018[18]
Qazvin Rasht 164 2006 2018[19]
Yazd Eqlid 271 2015 2021[20]
Passengers on board a train from Yazd to Tehran watch movies and sleep, 2014

Rolling stock

Main article: List of stock used by railways in Iran

Iran Railways uses a variety of rolling stock for their services. Trains are operated with diesel and electric locomotives. Steam locomotives have been phased out. Diesel is a strategic industry, and by using this heavy oil as a fuel instead of gas for locomotives, the Islamic Republic of Iran has joined the 12 world countries which manufacture this type of engine.[21]

Operations

See also: Transport in Iran

In 2008, the IR operated 11,106 km of rail with a further 18,900 km in various stages of development.

double-track lines is 1,082 km. The Jolfa–Tabriz line is electrified( 148 km). In 2006, IR reported that it possessed 565 engines, 1,192 passenger coaches, and 16,330 wagons. The vast majority of the engines are diesel
-powered.

Expansion

Pardis trains being unloaded in Shahid Rajai Port.

The majority of

Ministry of Road and Transportation of Iran.[27]

Shiraz train station

Affiliate companies

Network and corridors

The railway network converges on Tehran. The

Tehran-Qom-Esfahan with a length of 410 kilometers (under construction), Qazvin-Rasht-Anzali-Astara with a length of 370 kilometers; will all be built with help from China at a cost of $12 billion.[citation needed] In total, Iran has signed a number of contracts with China for the development of 5,000 kilometres of railway lines.[24]

North-South Railway

The north–south railway is complete between Bandar-e Anzali and Bandar Abbas; the line was initially expected to be completed as far as Azerbaijan by the end of 2016.[30] Qazvin to Astara was the missing link in the North-South Transportation Corridor, which links India, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia and Finland. Qazvin-Rasht railway was completed in 2018 and Rasht-Anzali in 2023 whilst Anzali-Astara railway needs another four years to be completed.[31]

Links to Azerbaijan and Armenia

Iran's first rail link to the outside world appeared simultaneously with the beginning of the country's railway system, as Iran's first major railway (1916) connected

Resht, Astara, Iran and Astara, Azerbaijan. In April 2017, Russia and India celebrated 70 years of diplomatic relations and vowed to complete the North-South Transportation Corridor (NSTC) with the help of Iran. The NSTC reduces time and cost of travel by 30-40%.[35][circular reference]There is presently no direct railway connection between Iran and Armenia, even though the two countries share a border. In 2009, Iran and Armenia agreed to build a railway linking Armenia with Iran's Persian Gulf ports.[36]

Links to Central Asia

In 1996,

Etrek in Turkmenistan and end at Gorgan in Iran's Golestan province. In Iran, the railway will be linked to national network making its way to the ports of the Persian Gulf. The project is estimated to cost $620m which is being jointly funded by the governments of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran.[37]

Links to Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan

Iran extends its railway system to Iraq and Syria(01-2007)

Feasibility studies were started on Khorramshahr-Basra and Kermanshah-Baghdad links with Iraq.[38] As of 2014, the Iranian line to Khorramshahr was finished,[39] but construction had not started on the track from the Iraqi border to Basra.[citation needed] In 2017, the West Corridor known locally as Rahahane Gharb was expanded from Arak to Malayer and Kermanshah. The Iranian government plans on expanding the network further to Khosravi (Iran-Iraq) border. China Civil Engineering Construction Corp is building the Malayer-Khosravi corridor, which will eventually run to the border with Iraq. On 27 December 2021, Iran and Iraq agreed to build a railway connecting both countries.The project would connect Basra in southern Iraq to Shalamcheh in western Iran. There are only around 30 kilometers (18 miles) between the two areas. The railway would be strategically important for Iran, linking the country to the Mediterranean Sea via Iraq and Syria's railways.[40][41]

Khvaf-Afghanistan's Border-Islam Qala railway is being constructed by an Iranian firm, with funding from the Afghan government, but the section in Afghanistan remains incomplete.[42][43][44] On 10 December 2020, the first rail link between Iran and Afghanistan on Khaf - Herat route between Khaf and Rahzanak in Afghanistan for a distance of 140 km (87 mi) was formally inaugurated although traffic had started on 12 December 2002 with a 500 tonnes test train cement delivery from Iran.[45] The works on remaining 85 km (53 mi) section of the project between Rahzanak and Herat is in progress. The works on both sides are done as development assistance to Afghanistan by Iran.[46] The new Khaf - Rahzanak rail line continues from Khaf to Torbat-e Heydarieh where it links with Mashhad - Bafq railway line a crucial rail link opened in 2009 which connects port city, Bandar Abbas in Persian Gulf with north eastern city of Mashhad and from there with Turkmenistan through Sarakhs.[47][48]

Link to Turkey, and International Standard Gauge route to Europe

In 1977, the Iranian railways linked to the western railway system at the

baggage car only) across Lake Van, which is at an altitude of 1,650 m (5,413 ft), to Tatvan where it joins the Turkish standard-gauge network
.

Link to Pakistan

The construction of the railway from

convert its route to Quetta to standard gauge, in order to facilitate the flow of international traffic to Europe. Pakistan responded in 2006 with a statement that it is to convert its network to standard gauge, and would plan a link with the standard gauge system of China. A through passenger service is being considered[50][52] to supplement the occasional Quetta-Zahedan service, itself a poor shadow of the former Pakistan-Iran 'Taftan
Express'.

Map showing Iran's rail link with neighboring countries.

International railway links with neighboring countries

Railway electrification

Main article: Railway electrification in Iran

Although railway electrification in Iran was started in 1975, it was halted for almost 30 years. A contract for electrification of the Tehran-Mashhad double-track line and the supply of 70 electric locomotives was awarded in 2009.[53] Speeds of up to 200 km/h for locomotive-hauled passenger trains and 250 km/h for tilting EMUs are expected to reduce existing journey times of 7.5 to 12 to less than 5 hours.

Commuter railway services

Local Rail, also referred to as Suburban Rail or Commuter rail when originating from a large city and covering its suburbs, is a class of rail services, using railbus-type trains, running a distance of about 50 km to 200 km, and serving all stations.[54] Currently[when?] there are the following services:

Iran Tehran Railway Dept.
Legend
to Northwest Dept.
to North Dept.
Kohandezh
Bonekooh
Ziaran
to Northeast Dept.
Abyek
Yateri
Hashtgerd
Gordan
Garmsar
Karaj
Kavir
Abardezh
Maleki
Pishva
Varamin
Lashkari
Bahram
Nikpasandi
Ray
Mehrabad
Tehran
Aprin
Tappeh Sefid
Eslamshahr
Robat Karim
Airport
Shahriar
Namakzar
Rood-e Shoor
Separ Rostam
Parandak
Mohamadieh
Kheyripoor
to Arak Dept.
Kooh Palang
Anjilavand
Nodezh
Pol
Gar
to Arak Dept.

High-speed rail

Main articles:
Tehran-Qom-Isfahan High Speed Rail
Siemens DMUs capable of traveling at 200 km/h manufactured in Iran, 2007

Currently there is one high speed railway line under construction between Tehran and Isfahan passing through Qom. The length of the line is 410 km; completion is planned for 2025.

Construction of another high speed rail line between Qom and Arak is under way as well.[55]

See also

References

  1. ^ Sources:
    • شرکت قطار‌های مسافربری رجا [Raja Passenger Trains Company], www.raja.ir (in Persian and English), archived from the original on 2 April 2009, retrieved 31 March 2009, company website
    • "News Archive", www.msedv.com, RAJA Passenger Trains Operating Company, archived from the original on 6 April 2010, retrieved 14 January 2012, Passenger Trains Operating Company, RAJA, is a joint stock company affiliated to Islamic Republic of Iran's Railway Company (RAI). It was established in October 1996 as a part of RAI restructuring process, aimed at separating passenger and freight train operations management from infrastructure maintenance and development.
  2. ^ "Iran to extend rail network to 15,000 kilometers by 2015 - Tehran Times". Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
  3. ^ "Railroads i. The First Railroad Built and Operated in Persia". Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  4. ^ Persia and the Persian Question
  5. ^ Pinkepank, Jerry A. The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide 1973 Kalmbach Books p.233
  6. ISBN 1-55046-021-8
    pp.8&73-77
  7. ^ "Persian Gulf Command" by Joel Sayre 1945, Random House
  8. ^ "Opening of railway corridor 'Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran' - YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 14 August 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  9. ^ "Стратегические перспективы и значение железной дороги Хаф — Герат". 12 December 2020.
  10. ^ https://www.mesteel.com/countries/iran/Sangan_Iron_Ore_Mine.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  11. ^ "◄ مقایسه بهره برداری از خطوط ریلی قبل و بعد از انقلاب؛ سال ۱۲۹۱ تا ۱۳۹۲ + جدول". Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  12. ^ "Iran inaugurates railway to border with Turkmenistan". Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  13. ^ Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran Railway to Open Today, by Onur Uysal, http://railturkey.org/2014/12/03/kazakhstan-turkmenistan-iran-railway/ Archived 5 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine
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  15. ^ "Khaf-Herat Railway Project, Iran-Afghanistan - Railway Technology".
  16. ^ "Khaf-Herat railway to open within weeks". 20 July 2017.
  17. ^ "روحانی راه‌آهن تهران-کرمانشاه را افتتاح کرد" [Rouhani Inaugurates Tehran-Kermanshah railway]. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  18. ^ "Inauguration of Maragheh Urmia railway". Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  19. ^ "Qazvin- Rasth railway opens today". 22 November 2018. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  20. ^ "Railway, freeway projects worth over $2.5b inaugurated". 30 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  21. ^ "Iran Displays 1st Home-Made Locomotive with Diesel Engine". Fars News Agency. 29 March 2011. Archived from the original on 1 May 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  22. ^ "راه آهن ج.ا.ا". Archived from the original on 15 August 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2008.
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  24. ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  25. ^ a b c "Rail Privatization Underway". Iran Daily. 16 December 2008. Archived from the original on 30 January 2009.
  26. ^ "Iran Manufactures 1st Express Train". Iran Daily. 3 February 2007. Archived from the original on 5 February 2007.
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  28. ^ "Privatizing Railways". Iran Daily. 30 December 2006. Archived from the original on 12 January 2007.
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  32. ^ СОГЛАШЕНИЕ О СОВЕТСКО-ИРАНСКОМ ЖЕЛЕЗНОДОРОЖНОМ СООБЩЕНИИ (МОСКВА, 20 ЯНВАРЯ 1958 Г.)[permanent dead link] (Agreement on Soviet-Iranian railway communications; Moscow, 20 January 1958)
  33. ^ На торговом пути «Север — Юг» Archived 8 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine (The North-South trade route) (in Russian)
  34. ^ Georgia to remain vital transit route for Armenia Archived 2009-11-18 at the Wayback Machine. Quote: "However, there are no expectations that in the near future there will be a resolution of the Karabakh conflict and the railroads connecting Armenia and Azerbaijan - Yerevan-Nakhichevan-Baku and Ichevan-Baku - will begin operating."
  35. North–South Transport Corridor
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  42. ^ Charles Recknagel (14 October 2010). "Afghanistan's First New Railroad On Track". Radio Free Liberty/Radio Free Europe. Archived from the original on 19 January 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2011. Iran has reportedly completed two-thirds of a 190-kilometer rail bed from its town of Khaf to link with Herat.
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  44. ^ "FM Official Underlines Iran's Growing Aid to Afghanistan". Fars News Agency. 4 July 2011. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2011. 'The great project of Khaf-Herat railway - operation of which has also been commenced - will create a significant development in transit and connecting Afghanistan with regional and extra-regional (Europe) countries. Its connection to the railway of Central Asia, Turkey and Europe via Iran and also its connection to Iran's nationwide railways network - which will stretch from Bandar Abbas to Afghanistan - can play an important role in economic growth and development of Afghanistan,' the foreign ministry official said.
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  46. ISSN 0971-751X
    . Retrieved 15 December 2020.
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  50. ^ a b "Islamabad-Istanbul freight train to start on 14 Aug". Archived from the original on 17 September 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
  51. ^ "restart Pakistani Iran freight trains". Archived from the original on 19 July 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
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  55. ^ Bharti. "Construction of High-speed Rail line Project in Iran". Archived from the original on 16 June 2020.
  56. ^ "The Hans India - India accedes to Ashgabat agreement". 24 March 2016. Archived from the original on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2016.

External links

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