TEHRAN- The Deputy Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways said: Last year, with a remarkable performance, the railway achieved a nine-percent growth in loading tonnage and a four-percent growth in ton-kilometers, while also reducing rail incidents by five percent.

Currently, with the necessary arrangements in place, it is welcoming Nowruz travelers, he added.

According to a report by IRNA on Tuesday from the railway, Mirhasan Mousavi, speaking at the Nowruz headquarters meeting of the railway company, referred to the favorable loading situation in the railway before the start of the imposed war. He added: "On some days, loading figures reached 142,000 tons. Last year, despite all the limitations we faced due to electricity and gas outages and the temporary closure of bulk cargo centers, we successfully concluded the year with a nine-percent growth in loading tonnage and a four-percent growth in ton-kilometers."

The Deputy Head of the railway emphasized: "Efforts must be made and precise supervision carried out to provide high-quality services to passengers."

He noted: "Improving the quality of passenger services and quantitatively increasing passenger-seat capacity are among the main goals of the railway. Thanks to the dedicated colleagues at the railway and with the cooperation of passenger transport companies, this important objective has been achieved. It is necessary to follow up to ensure safe and smooth passenger and freight train operations throughout the year."

Mousavi added: “Although the ton-kilometers of freight transported increased last year, thanks to the efforts, hard work, and of course the dedication and commitment of operational colleagues, rail incidents decreased by more than five percent.”

He emphasized: "Last year, we had no severe incidents resulting in fatalities in passenger trains, and train operations were carried out safely. This indicates a special focus on safety issues and the improvement of rail infrastructure in the country."

Referring to the special conditions at the beginning of the war and the cancellation of flights, the official highlighted the efforts of railway staff in transporting passengers, stating: "At that time, by adding more wagons and planning extra trains to various cities, we were able to transport passengers who had been stranded due to flight cancellations."

He stated: "Currently, all trains scheduled for the Nowruz period are providing services to the people and passengers, and the railway continues its duty to deliver quality and timely services."

MA