 Iran railway 2020 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Iran |
| Dates of operation | 1887 (1887)–present |
| Technical | |
| Length | 12,998 kilometres (8,077 mi) |
| Other | |
| Website | www |
| Industry | Rail transport |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | , Iran |
TheIslamic Republic of Iran Railways (abbreviated asIRIR, or sometimes asRAI, or asIRI Railway) (Persian:راهآهن جمهوری اسلامی ایران,romanized: Râh âhan-e Jomhuri-ye Eslâmi-ye Irân) is the national state-ownedrailway system ofIran. TheRaja Passenger Train Company is an associate of the IR,[1] and manages its passenger trains. TheRailway Transportation Company is an associate of the IR, which manages its freight transport. TheMinistry of Roads & Urban Development is the state agency that oversees the IRIR. Some 33 million tonnes of goods and 29 million passengers are transported annually by the rail transportation network, accounting for 9 percent and 11 percent of all transportation in Iran, respectively (2011).[2]
In 2008, the IR operated 11,106 km of rail with a further 18,900 km in various stages of development.[3] Almost all of this isstandard gauge of1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in), but 94 km areRussian gauge of1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) to link up to ex-Soviet Unionborder states. There is also the no-longer-isolatedIndian gauge section of1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) fromZahedan to the Pakistan border that continues toQuetta and the Indian sub-continent. The extent ofdouble-track lines is 1,082 km. The Jolfa–Tabriz line is electrified (148 km). In 2006, IR reported that it possessed 565 engines, 1,192 passenger coaches, and 16,330 wagons. The vast majority of the engines arediesel-powered.[citation needed]
Passenger Trains Operating Company, RAJA, is a joint stock company affiliated to Islamic Republic of Iran's Railway Company (RAI). It was established in October 1996 as a part of RAI restructuring process, aimed at separating passenger and freight train operations management from infrastructure maintenance and development.