Border rail exchanges proceeding uninterruptedly
Border rail exchanges proceeding uninterruptedly
TEHRAN- The Director General of Foreign Trade at the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, emphasizing the normal and growing flow of exchanges across all 13 railway border crossings, has denied rumors about the suspension of transit operations and announced plans to double transit capacity at northeastern borders and develop ports connected to the rail network.
According to IRNA, Shahriyar Naghizadeh, in an interview on Saturday, highlighted the key role of the national rail network in connecting international routes and stressed the growing trend of exchanges while dismissing any ambiguity regarding the flow of goods at rail borders.
Explaining Iran's geographical position, he said: "The national rail network in the northeast connects to Turkmenistan's rail network through the Sarakhs and Incheh Borun borders. Turkmenistan, as a vital connecting link, connects us to the CIS member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization along the East-West Corridor (from China to Europe), as well as on the North-South Corridor (from Russia and Kazakhstan to Iran)."
Naghizadeh added: "Due to this feature, rail connectivity and border exchanges with Turkmenistan hold special and strategic importance for the country's economy."
Responding to some reports circulating on social media, the Director General stated: "It is natural that adversaries seek to produce fake news to inflame the atmosphere, but it must be understood that the railway serves peace, the environment, and the country's industrial development."
He emphasized: "Contrary to rumors aimed at creating black markets and disrupting the supply chain, the normal flow of goods is proceeding without any issues across all 13 rail borders, including Sarakhs and Incheh Borun. The exchange trend at these borders has not only not stopped but has experienced significant growth compared to last year."
Naghizadeh, referring to the need to upgrade service levels, said: "With increasing international demand, we are obliged to develop the logistical capacities of border stations—including loading, unloading, rail lines, and hardware facilities—so that goods enter the country swiftly and safely without delays at borders. We have very close cooperation with the Customs Administration of Iran in this regard."
He continued: "According to Articles 57 and 58 of the Seventh Development Plan, the railway's obligations to achieve target transit volumes have been specified. By developing the Sarakhs and Incheh Borun stations, which currently handle approximately 5 million tons combined, we have targeted increasing this figure to over 10 million tons."
Regarding alternative routes, the Director General said: "To diversify the supply chain for essential and industrial goods, new combined routes have been planned and implemented. Our cooperation with Kazakhstan—the gateway to China's rail network—has grown several-fold. Currently, we have increased from 7 trains annually to 3 trains monthly on the China-Iran route, indicating very high demand and the great potential of our rail network."
Referring to maritime capacities, he added: "On the Caspian Sea coast, we are connected to the national rail network at the ports of Amirabad and Caspian, and the performance of these ports has multiplied compared to last year. Given developments on the southern coasts, we are expanding the capacities of northern ports to strengthen connectivity to Russia and the North-South Corridor."
The railway official emphasized: "Utilizing 15,000 kilometers of rail network and 35,000 freight wagons, our goal is the economical, safe, and rapid movement of goods from entry points to other destinations and countries."
EF/MA
source: tehrantimes.com