Iran to launch high-speed rail network

TEHRAN, Feb. 10 (MNA) – Minister of road and urban planning announced that Iran seeks a network of high-speed rail across the country not being limited to specific areas. Abbas Ahmad Akhundi told that “we had sealed the Tehran-Qom-Isfahan high-speed train with the Chinese while we hired Italians to monitor the project to ensure the implementation of the project with the highest international standards. “The Tehran-Mashhad route remains as the other main project while negotiations with Italians are underway in order to define a network of high-speed rail system all around the country,” he continued. Road minister enumerated three axes for the railroad sector including increasing the capacity of railroad for freight purposes, developing passenger trains in the suburbs of Tehran and other major cities in partnership with other countries as well as expansion of intercity trains.” The official further underlined the importance of creating infrastructures as well as renewal of the rail fleet; “that being the case, we have put the two issues on the agenda in talks with the French, Italians and Germans.” “Modernization of the rail industry requires at least 28 billion dollars of investment and we are attracting huge investments to this end during the post-JCPOA era,” mentioned Akhundi. Minister of road and urban planning went on to underline domestic capacities saying “our main concern is to define how of a contract needs to be carried out inside the country.” “All discussions with foreigners include the preconditions of partnership, technology transfer as well as the use of internal capacities,” commented the official reiterating that the projects will become costly without taking advantage of local companies.