Iran’s National Railway Company (Rajah) Jabaalizekari, who is also the deputy minister of roads and urban development, also said on Saturday that the new railway route will cover destinations in Turkey, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, according to Press Television.
Zakeri said Raja is scheduled to launch direct rail passenger trips from Tehran to Turkish Capital of Ankara, adding that the service will be an extension of the current route between Tehran and the Turkish city van.
He added that Iranian and Turkish authorities are discussing financial issues related to new routes, including fares, and expecting travel on the route to begin within the next two months.
Officials said another new route would cover passenger travel between Iranian cities in Tehran and Mashhad and Afghanistan’s Herat cities, adding that travel will begin as soon as Iran and Afghanistan sort out the issues with the travel document.
Zakeri added that the route will allow direct travel from Iran to Rozanak near Herat, and that the trip will be extended to Herat itself once Iranian contractors complete the construction of a 70-kilometer railway link between the city and Rozanak.
He said Raja is planning to launch a passenger route from Mashhad, Iran to Mav, Turkmenistan.
The Rajah chief said the route would enhance economic and trade ties with Central Asian countries as it would promote Iranian passenger access to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan when fully operational.
MNA