Islamic Republic of Iran Railways
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| Islamic Republic of Iran Railways | |
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| Locale | Iran |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Tehran |
The Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI) is the national state-owned railway system of Iran. Raja Passenger Train Company is an associate of the IR and manages its passenger trains including international trains between Tehran and Istanbul and Tehran and Damascus. The Railway Transportation Company is an associate of the IR to manage its freight transport. The Iranian Ministry of Roads and Transportation is the state agency that oversees the IR.
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[edit] History
In the second half of the 19th century, during the time of Nasser-al-Din Shah, a short horse-driven suburban railway was established south of Tehran that was later converted to steam. This line was closed in 1952.
The Tabriz–Jolfa line (146 km) was built in 1914, the Sufiyan–Sharaf Khaneh (53 km) in 1916, and the Mirjaveh–Zahedan (93 km) in 1920.
In 1939 the Trans-Iranian Railway was opened. This 1,392 km long connection links Bandar Torkaman on the Caspian Sea and Bandar Imam Khomeyni (formerly Bandar Shahpur) on the Persian Gulf. After the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran in 1941, this Persian Corridor became one of the supply routes for war material for the Soviet Union during World War II.
[edit] Challenging construction
The Trans-Iranian railway traverses many mountain ranges, and is full of spirals and 1 in 36 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 even before the line opened. Nevertheless, the line was completed ahead of schedule.
[edit] Operations
In 2008, the IR operated 11,106 km rail[1]. Almost all of this is standard gauge of 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in), but 94 km are broad gauge (1.520m) to link up to ex-Soviet Union border states. There is also the isolated broad gauge section from Zahedan to the Pakistan border that continues to Quetta and the Indian sub-continent (1.676m). The extent of double-track lines is 1,082 km. The Jolfa–Tabriz line is electrified (148 km). In 2006, IR reported that it possess 565 engines, 1,192 passenger coaches, and 16,330 wagons. The vast majority of the engines are diesel-powered.
The majority of transportation in Iran is road-based. The government plans to transport 3.5% of the passenger volume and 8.5 % of the freight volume by rail. Extensive electrification is planned. The railway network expands by about 500 km per year according to the Ministry of R&T.
[edit] Affiliate companies
- Raja Passenger Train Company is an associate of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (IR) and manages its passenger trains, including international trains linking Tehran to Istanbul and Damascus. Raja Passenger Train Company carried more than 4 million passengers during 2003-05. The number of passengers traveling by rail increased from 11.7 million in 2000 to 17.3 million in the year ending March 2005.
- Railway Transportation Company is also a subsidiary of the IR to manage its freight transport while the Ministry of Roads and Transportation is the state agency that oversees the IR.
- Zarand Company is providing the national railroad system with freight and passenger train carriages.[2]
The Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, the Iran Power Plant Projects Management (Mapna) and Germany’s Siemens have signed a contract for constructing 150 locomotives for passenger trains. Under the contract, the German company is committed to export to Iran some 30 locomotives in the first phase and manufacture another 120 using domestic capacities and expertise over the next six years.[3]
[edit] Network and corridors
The railway network converges on Tehran and connects all major parts of the country with the exception of the Southeast. Importantly, Iran lies at the crossroads of East-West and North-South transportation corridors that are active or potentially active. The western railway extension links to Turkey at the Razi–Kapikoi border. A northern connection to Azerbaijan, the Caucasus, and Russia has a bogie-changing station at the border at Jolfa. The southern routes connect Tehran to the Persian Gulf ports of Bandar Imam and Bandar Abbas. A line to the Caspian Sea ends at the terminal of Amir Abad and at Bandar Torkaman, and is part of a North-South corridor to Russia and Scandinavia. The north-east corridor connects Mashad and continues further to the bogie-changing station at Sarakh. For the landlocked countries of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan, this line provides access to the sea. A recent connection from Mashad to Bafqh has significantly shortened access to the harbor of Bandar Abbas.[4]
[edit] Link to Central Asia
In recent years the railways have undergone significant extensions including the 1977 linking to the western railway system at the Turkish border, the 1993 opening of the Bandar Abbas line providing better access to the sea, and the 1996 opening of the Mashad–Sarakhs branch as part of the Silk Road railway to link to the landlocked Central Asian Countries. Former states of the Soviet Union have railways using a wider gauge, thus the Iranian Railways maintain break-of-gauge services at borders to Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, and beyond brief wide-track rail segments to the border crossing. In 2007, Russian Railways, Iranian Railways and Azerbaijani State Railways agreed on implementing the project to build a new railways line between Qazvin, Resht, Astara (Iran) and Astara (Azerbaijan). [5]
[edit] Links to Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan
Also under construction are the Khorramshahr–Basra and the Kermanshah-Baghdad line as a link with southern and northern Iraq,[6] and a line connecting from Mashad to Herat in Afghanistan in the Eastern part of the country.
[edit] International Standard Gauge route to Europe
The route to the west into Turkey terminates at Van with a 90km (55 mile) train ferry for both freight wagons and international passenger traffic (baggage car only) across Lake Van, which is at an altitude of 1650m (5,413 feet), to Tatvan. The standard gauge route continues via Ankara to Istanbul via another train ferry between the Haydarapasa terminus on the eastern side of the Bosphorus and the Sirkeci terminus on the European shore. This crossing will be bypassed by the Marmaray Crossing, a dual track rail tunnel, due to open in 2009.
[edit] Link to Pakistan
Current projects include a line from Kerman eastward via Bam to Zahedan to link up with Pakistan and connect to Quetta.[7] This connection will bridge the last gap of rail connection between the Indian subcontinent and Europe. The link is due to open by March 2009 (press statement 14/5/08). Various sections can be seen under construction on Google Earth maps updated to 2007. A bogie changing station is under construction south of Zahedan but Iran Railways is seeking to persuade Pakistan Railways to convert its route to Quetta to standard gauge 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 (1.435m), and would plan a link with the standard gauge system of China.
[edit] References
- ^ راه آهن ج.ا.ا
- ^ "Privatizing Railways", Iran Daily, 2006-12-30.
- ^ "Iran Manufactures 1st Express Train", Iran Daily, 2007-02-03.
- ^ David Brice. "Iran plans 50% network expansion as Mashhad - Bafgh line opens", Railway Gazette International, 2005-05-01.
- ^ http://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11332208.htm RailPage
- ^ "Iran Iraq links", Railway Gazette International, 2005-09-01.
- ^ Dr John Stubbs. "Closing the gap from Bam to Zahedan", Railway Gazette International, 2007-01-01.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official Website
- Ministry of transportation website
- Raja website
- North–South corridor
- Unofficial website
- 2005 update on status of Iran's railways
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