Tehran, August 31 (MRUD NEWS)—The first section of Zahedan-Chabahar Railroad stretching from Zahedan to Khash will soon be inaugurated by President on the occasion of the Government Week in Iran (24-30 August).
This section of the railroad is 154 km out of about 630 km of the strategic rail corridor as the missing part of eastern railway corridor and part of International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) within Iran. Heading to Sarakhs from the ocean port of Chabahar, the rail route links Iran and South Asia to the Central Asian and northern countries.
Deputy Minister and head of Construction and Development of Transport Infrastructures Company in Iran, Kheirollah Khademi, in a press conference announced the infrastructural transport projects implemented in the last year since the Company is responsible for construction and development of of the rail and road infrastructures.
In the rail sector, presently there are 14,000 km railroad in Iran and contract for construction of 3300 km new rail routes. With 6300 km railroad under study, in total 9600 new railroad is planned to be added to the rail network.
In terms of finished rail projects within last year, 142 km new railroad is developed and 158 km of rail tracking is accomplished, he informed.
Moreover, five rail projects with total lengths of 561 km are now completing with overall 70 percent physical progress. These projects include Miyaneh-Tabriz, Hamedan-Sanandaj, Rasht-Caspian, Miyaneh-Ardebil, and Zahedan-Khash Railroad which is to be operated before long. These projects will be finalized with 4,400 billion tomans investments.
In the road sector, there are currently 45,000 km road routes in Iran and by next year 730 km highway and main way is to be added with 10,000 billon tomans credit.
Currently, there are 2,761 km freeway under operation and 2018 km freeway under construction with joint investment by private sector and 1882 km under study. Also 129 km freeway is finalized within this year and five projects in freeway will be inaugurated by the next year including Shiraz-Isfahan Freeway (210 km), Manjil-Roodbar Freeway (8 km), Tehran-Shomal (22 km remaining), Maragheh-Hashtrood Freeway (30 km), and Tabriz-Soofiyan Freeway (24 km). These projects need 5000 billion tomans finance which is jointly financed by the government and private sector.
For highway, 551 km is constructed and operated in this year plus 184 km main way and further 237 km highway in 16 provinces will soon be operated with 50 billion tomans credit. Additionally, 6031 km is under construction, and 3142 km under study. Total length of highway is expected to reach 35000 km.