Electrification of Iranian Main Line Gets Underway
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani inaugurated a major project on Saturday to electrify a main line linking the capital, Tehran, to the northeastern holy city of Mashhad.
President Rouhani launched the project in Mashhad on Saturday morning.
It will be implemented by Chinese companies. The start of the project follows the finalization of a deal with China, whose president, Xi Jinping, paid an official visit to Iran in January.
The project is expected to be completed in 42 months with $2 billion in funds.
Once completed, the rail route could accommodate electric trains running at 200 km per hour, traveling between Tehran and Mashhad in 6 hours.
President Rouhani’s administration, which took the office in August 2013, has ramped up efforts to boost the country’s railroad industry.
Managing director of the Iranian Railway Company (RAJA) had announced earlier that electrifying Tehran-Mashhad line, which stretches some 900 kilometers, would allow for faster trains, save energy and increase the number of train passengers to 32 million people a year.
