According to the Public Relations Office of the RWT Company, during a live interview on Azadrah, a program broadcast by Radio Eghtesad, Eng. Hossein Ashouri, CEO of the RWT Company, announced a 46 percent increase in Iran's international rail trade during the first eight months of the current Iranian year.
He identified competitive tariffs, transport security, and transit speed as the three key factors influencing cargo owners when selecting international transport routes and logistics corridors.
Ashouri noted that Iran's rail freight industry currently comprises 26 domestic rail freight operators and 30 international rail freight companies, in addition to numerous railway engineering and technical service providers. He highlighted that Iranian companies have successfully generated revenue through the design and construction of railway infrastructure in countries including Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and several African nations.
Emphasizing the growth potential of the sector, he stated that the private sector believes Iran's rail industry can achieve significantly higher levels of development with stronger government support.
Referring to the recent visit of the CEO of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways to the meeting of the Council for Rail Transport of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Ashouri pointed to the signing of an agreement for the production and export of 200 freight wagons to Uzbekistan. He added that recent transit agreements reached during the meeting are expected to facilitate the launch of new freight transportation projects between Central Asia and Iran.
Reviewing the historical advantages of Iran's railway network, Ashouri also stressed the importance of completing major strategic railway projects, including the Rasht–Astara Railway, the Shamtigh–Herat Railway, the proposed Iran–Türkiye railway route, and the modernization of the Zahedan–Quetta railway line.
According to him, prioritizing economically viable railway infrastructure projects would help offset financial constraints through long-term savings generated by lower fuel consumption, reduced road accidents, and increased foreign currency revenues resulting from expanded international transit.
Concluding the interview, Ashouri noted that, as governments around the world increasingly recognize the strategic importance of rail transport—and in line with the United Nations' recommendation to increase global rail freight volumes by 50 percent by 2050—close cooperation between the public and private sectors will be essential to accelerating the development of Iran's railway transportation industry.
