Iran, China discuss major rail project

Iran says it is negotiating with China on an express rail line project that is to run from the Iranian capital to the northeastern holy city of Mashhad, a major attraction of pilgrims.

“In case of a final agreement, the Tehran-Mashahd express rail line, which will take trains running 350 kmph, will be constructed,” said Abdol Ali Saheb-Mohammadi, the managing director of the Railways of the Islamic Republic of Iran, quoted by IRNA on Thursday.

The Iranian official was speaking on the sidelines of a meeting between a visiting delegation of the Iranian Ministry of Road and Transportation and their Chinese counterparts in Beijing.

“The construction of Tehran-Mashhad railroad is being negotiated and during [my] visit to China, envoys were nominated to represent the Chinese transportation and railroad ministries,” he said.

Saheb-Mohammadi added that the express railroad project includes two phases that will connect Tehran and the shrine city of Mashhad in the first phase and will link Tehran to the country’s second largest city of Esfahan, through the holy city of Qom, in the second phase.

He said his talks with Chinese officials also included transfer of the knowhow for building locomotives and traffic control centers for passenger and cargo trains.

On Wednesday, Iranian Road and Transportation Minister Hamid Behbahani said his country welcomed investment and cooperation from all Chinese railroad companies that meet Iran’s standards.

He also pointed out that both sides highlighted the significance of linking China and Iran via railroads that also crosses Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.