IRANIAN PRESIDENT INAUGURATES TEHRAN-MASHHAD RAILWAY ELECTRIFICATION PROJECT

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani inaugurated the constructional phase of Tehran-Mashhad electric railway on Saturday, February 6, 2016.

The project, headed by a consortium which sees MAPNA Group at its head, aims to electrify the 926 km rail way from Tehran to the city of Mashhad, Iran’s primary pilgrimage site which attracts tens of millions of visitors each year.

Senior members of the government including Vice President for Executive Affairs Mohammad Shariatmadari, Vice President for Environmental Affairs Massoumeh Ebtekar, Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi, and Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways Mohsen Pourseyyedaghaei accompanied President Rouhani during the ceremony which was held in the Central Railway Station of Mashhad.

MAPNA CEO Abbas Aliabadi and Secretary of the Board of Directors Jafar Joola also attended the event, along with Chinese Ambassador Pang Sen whose country is responsible for financing the project.

In his opening speech, Hassan Rouhani expressed satisfaction with the ongoing rail transportation projects. “Development of urban and intercity rail transportation is a key objective of the government” he said.

Minister of Road and Urban Construction Abbas Akhoundi also briefed the audience on the project’s details. “With completion of Tehran-Mashhad railway electrification project, trains will commute with a speed of 200 kmph” the minister stated.

Head of Iran Railways Company Mohsen Pourseyyedaghaei also delivered information on the project. “The project is financed with two billion dollars with twenty-year payments in order to realize a long time dream of the Iranians,” said Pourseyyedaghaei. He added that electrification of the Tehran-Mashhad railway will be carried out by a consortium led by MAPNA Group under an EPC-F (engineering-procurement-construction and financing) scheme.

Upon commissioning, the Tehran-Mashhad electric railway will cover the 926-kilometer distance between Tehran and Mashhad in 6 hours with a maximum speed of 200 kmph. The project is scheduled to be completed within 48 months. Plans to further develop the railway through a 15-year period in order to carry 35 million passengers per year are also being considered. The Tehran-Mashhad railway electrification will help to establish a safer transportation, indigenize high-speed train technology, lower the level of noise pollution, and reduce travel time.