freight train on the new
Bafq-Bandar Abbas branch

The Golden Route

• Preface
• Direct Transit Corridors Through Rail
• Sea-Rail Transit Corridors
• Sea-Rail-Road Transit Corridors
• Rail-Road-Rail Transit Corridors
• Facilities of RAI (Iranian Islamic Republic Railways)
• Membership in International Conventions & Organizations
• How to contact RAI freight department
• Pictures

Since transportation and communication are considered as a prerequisite in any economic development, Iran’s authorities have paid a special attention to the development of transportation and communication especially through railways. In this respect, the construction of Mashad-Sarakhs railroad was started in order to create a new intercontinental route which connects Asia to Europe. Also, the construction of Amir Abad’s Railway made her the first important Iranian port on the Caspian Sea to be connected to the railway network. Iran also began the construction of Kerman – Zahedan railway which will link the railways of Zahedan-Mirjaveh/Taftan – Quetta (Pakistan) railway to Iranian main network and thus the European railway network with the Indian subcontinent.

1. Razi - Sarakhs - Razi Corridor: via Razi, Tabriz, Zanjan, Tehran, Sharood, Fariman (Mashad), Sarakhs and v.v.; length 2013 km, capacity 2 million tons per year
2. Jolfa - Sarakhs - Jolfa Corridor: via Jolfa, Tabriz, Zanjan, Tehran, Sharood, Fariman (Mashad), Sarakhs and v.v.; length 1937 km, capacity 2 million tons per year

1. Bandar Abbas - Sarakhs - Bandar Abbas Corridor: via Bandar Abbas, Sirjan, Bafq, Yazd, Qom, Tehran, Sharood, Fariman (Mashad), Sarakhs and v.v.; length 2540 km, capacity 3 million tons per year
2. Bandar Emam - Sarakhs - Bandar Emam Corridor: via Bandar Emam, Ahvaz, Tehran, Sharood, Fariman (Mashad), Sarakhs and v.v.; length 1980 km, capacity 2 million tons per year
3. Bandar Abbas - Northern Ports (Caspian sea: Bandar Torkaman, Amir Abad) - Bandar Abbas Corridor: via Bandar Abbas, Sirjan, Bafq, Yazd, Qom, Tehran, Garmsar, Qaemshahr, Amir Abad and/or Bandar Torkaman ports and v.v.; length 1878 and 1947 km, capacity 1 million tons per year
4. Bandar Emam - Northern Ports (Caspian sea: Bandar Torkaman, Amir Abad) - Bandar Emam Corridor: via Bandar Emam, Ahvaz, Tehran, Garmsar, Qaemshahr, Amir Abad and/or Bandar Torkaman ports and v.v.; length 1319 and 1388 km, capacity 1 million tons per year
5. Bandar Abbas - Razi - Bandar Abbas Corridor: via Bandar Abbas, Sirjan, Bafq, Yazd, Qom, Tehran, Tabriz, Razi and v.v.; length 2446 km, capacity 2 million tons per year
6. Bandar Abbas - Jolfa - Bandar Abbas Corridor: via Bandar Abbas, Sirjan, Bafq, Yazd, Qom, Tehran, Tabriz, Jolfa and v.v.; length 2370 km, capacity 2 million tons per year
7. Bandar Emam - Razi - Bandar Emam Corridor: via Bandar Emam, Ahvaz, Tehran, Tabriz, Razi and v.v.; length 1887 km, capacity 2 million tons per year
8. Bandar Emam - Jolfa - Bandar Emam Corridor: via Bandar Emam, Ahvaz, Tehran, Tabriz, Jolfa and v.v.; length 1811 km, capacity 2 million tons per year
9. Razi - Northern Ports (Caspian sea: Bandar Torkaman, Amir Abad) - Razi Corridor: via Razi, Tabriz, Zanjan, Tehran, Garmsar, Qaemshahr, Amir Abad and/or Bandar Torkaman ports and v.v.; length 1352 and 1421 km, capacity 1 million tons per year
10. . Jolfa - Northern Ports (Caspian sea: Bandar Torkaman, Amir Abad) - Jolfa Corridor: via Jolfa, Tabriz, Zanjan, Tehran, Garmsar, Qaemshahr, Amir Abad and/or Bandar Torkaman ports and v.v.; length 1276 and 1345 km, capacity 1 million tons per year

1. Bandar Abbas - LotfAbad - Bandar Abbas Corridor: via Bandar Abbas, Bafq, Tehran, Mashad, LotfAbad and v.v.; length 2665 km, capacity 3 million tons per year
2. Bandar Emam - LotfAbad - Bandar Emam Corridor: via Bandar Emam, Ahvaz, Tehran, Mashad, LotfAbad and v.v.; length 2103 km, capacity 2 million tons per year
3. Northern Ports (Caspian sea: Bandar Torkaman, Amir Abad) - Kerman -Zahedan (Mirjaveh) Corridor: via Amir Abad and/or Bandar Torkaman ports, Tehran, Yazd, Kerman, Zahedan, Mirjaveh and v.v.; length 2088 and 2157 km, capacity 2 million tons per year

1. Jolfa - Kerman -Zahedan (Mirjaveh) Corridor: via Jolfa, Tabriz, Tehran, Yazd, Bafq, Kerman, Zahedan (Mirjaveh) and v.v.; length 2580 km, capacity 3 million tons per year
2. Razi - Kerman -Zahedan (Mirjaveh) Corridor: via Razi, Tabriz, Tehran, Yazd, Bafq, Kerman, Zahedan (Mirjaveh) and v.v.; length 2656 km, capacity 3 million tons per year
3. LotfAbad - Kerman -Zahedan (Mirjaveh) Corridor: via LotfAbad, Mashad, Tehran, Yazd, Kerman, Zahedan (Mirjaveh) and v.v.; length 2872 km, capacity 1,5 million tons per year
4. Sarakhs - Kerman -Zahedan (Mirjaveh) Corridor: via Sarakhs, Fariman (Mashad), Tehran, Yazd, Kerman, Zahedan (Mirjaveh) and v.v.; length 2749 km, capacity 1,5 million tons per year

1. Length of Main Lines: 5700 kms with normal gauge of 1435 mm
2. Length of Industrial and Commercial secondary lines: 2112 kms
3. Length of electrified lines (Jolfa-Tabriz): 146 kms
4. Bogie change installation located at international border stations of Jolfa and Sarakhs which is used for transiting loaded and empty wagons. About 200 bogies can be changed each 24 hours based on two working shifts.
5. Container carrying terminals with lifting and displacing equipments located at Bandar Emam and Bandar Abbas terminals and railway stations at Mehrabad, Jolfa, Sahlan etc.
6. All kind of wagons including: covered, low sided, high sided, flat, well-wagon, tank wagon, mineral materials carrying wagon, bulk carrying and refrigerator for a total of 14784 units.
7. Different kind of passenger coaches, numbering 790.
8. Diesel-electric, electric and shunting locomotives, numbering 532.
9. 299 existing main stations.
10. . Free Trade International stations include: Jolfa (Azerbaijan & Armenian border), Razi (Turkish border), Sahlan, Tabriz, Nikpasandi, Mehrabad, Tehran, Esfahan, Mashad, Zahedan (Pakistan border), Fariman, Sarakhs (Turmenistan border), Bandar Abbas, Sirjan, Bandar Emam and Qazvin.

In order to ease internartional transportation, the Iranian Railways have joined all international and regional conventions & organizations to facilitate the client's access to services.

Some of the conventions and organizations are:

1 - UIC International Union of Railways

2 - Intergovernmental Organization for International Carriage by Rail

3 - COTIF Canvention for International Carriage by Rail

4 - OSSJD Organization for Cooperation between Railways

5 - SMGS Convention of Cargo Transport by Rail (East Bloc & and CIS countries)

6 - ETTMTT CIS & Caucasian Countries Transportation Tarif Treaty

7 - CMO Middle East Railway Tarifs (Iran, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Hedjaz in Jordan, Hedjaz in Syria)

8 - BPO Middle East &East Balkan Tarifs (Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria, Syria, Greece)

9 - CII International Rail Transport Comitee

10 - BCC - Central Bureau of International Transportation Payments & Accounts (central clearing house)

11 - RIC International Carriage and Luggage-van Union

12 - RIV International Wagon Union

13 - International Agreement for Using East Bloc Wagons

14 - ICF Interfrigo & Intercontainer Company

For cargo and passenger Transport RAI also enjoys bilateral agreements with neighbouring countries:

1 - SMPS Direct Passenger & Cargo Transportation Agreement with Turkmenistan

2 - Agreement on carho Exchange at Border Point with Turkmenistan

3 - Agreemnet on Direct Border Point Link with Former Soviet Union via Jolfa Border point

4 - Bilateral Agreement Between RAI & Turkmenistan Railways

5 - ICCD Agreement on Exchange of Cargo with Turkey

RAI Rah Ahan Iran - Iranian Railways

phone: 0098-21-5641196, 5123103, 5123116

fax: 0098-21-5124622

telex: 0098-21-213103

P.O. Box 13185 - 1498 Tehran, Iran

A heavy freight train on the Tabriz-Jolfa Line
Bogie Change Installation at Sarakhs Border
Freight loading operations at Bandar Abbas