TEHRAN- The head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (known as RAI) mentioned the development of railways as a necessary factor for the economic surge in the country.

Making the remarks in a press conference on Tuesday, Miad Salehi reiterated that the development of the transportation sector is vital for the economic surge, and the railway is the pillar for development in this sector.

The official also stated that RAI is seriously negotiating with other countries, especially the neighbors, to promote railway transit via Iran.

He further announced that passenger transportation via railway hit a record high in the past Iranian calendar year 1401, adding that 29.67 million passengers were transported via the national railway in the previous year, indicating also a 43-percent growth year on year.

Salehi added that the figure is targeted to reach 30 million in the present year.

Passenger transportation via railway also rose 13 percent in the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-July 22), the RAI head announced, adding that 10.7 million passengers were transported via the national railway in the four-month period.

The official further mentioned domestic production, and said, “We pay special attention to domestic production and facilitating it.”

Domestic manufacturing of freight wagons increased by 48 percent in the past year, Salehi announced, and underlined that the whole work was done by the private sector.

The development of the railway sector has been one of the macro policies of the Iranian government as it has been emphasized by the general policies of the country’s national development plans.

In this regard, the national railway fleet has constantly received new domestically-made locomotives and wagons in the past and current Iranian calendar years.

Last year, a total of 1,660 wagons and locomotives were added to the country’s railway fleet in four stages.

The railway fleet also received 346 new domestically-made wagons and locomotives on last Saturday, in a ceremony attended by the head of RAI.

Of the mentioned 346 wagons and locomotives, 339 were freight wagons, two were locomotives, and five were passenger wagons.

The mentioned wagons and locomotives have been all manufactured by domestic companies and firms including Mapna Group, Pars Wagon, Kowsar Wagon Complex, and Green Polour Industrial Group.

The number of locomotives and wagons added to the country’s railway fleet since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year has increased by eight percent compared to the previous year’s same period.

Advantages such as consuming less fuel and creating less pollution as well as high safety attach priority to the railway when compared to some other transportation systems, and make its development economically viable.