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Iran plans massive rail network
![Iran is expanding its railroad network and linking up with neighbors.](http://217.218.67.233/photo/20150518/2f9dcd8d-c8fd-4a7d-b7bf-19ee7172eb9b.jpg)
Iran is expanding its railroad network and linking up with neighbors.
Iran
wants to splurge up to $8 billion over the next six years to expand its
rail network, Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Mohammad Reza
Netmatzadeh said..
![](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c2/ca/48/c2ca48d7ac24d02686476e9797ab3d84.jpg)
The country is struggling to catch up with its runaway urbanization which has generated daunting challenges both for the state planners and the populace.
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![](http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01709/china-trains_1709759c.jpg)
The metropolis Tehran is bursting apart from congestion, not only from its rising population of residents but its cars, many of which are falling off into jalopies.
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Iran’s sprawling automotive industry, first started in the 1960s, has resulted in the creation of a massive road network which snakes through every corner across the vast country, jeopardizing its invaluable floral and fauna reserves.
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Iran, with a territory of more than 1.6 million square kilometers, spans a vast land bounded between the Caspian Sea in the north and the Persian Gulf in the South.
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![](http://www.dailykumquat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Tehran-II.jpg)
The country is credited with setting up the world’s most ancient transportation system. The Persian Royal Road in the 5th century BC stretched over 2,400 kilometers.
![](https://ourdistantsojourns.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/the-lechaion-road-the-central-street-of-corinth-once-lead-from-the-city-of-approx-250000-to.jpg)
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The country was also home to the world’s fist urban center in Susa more than 6,400 years ago.
In recent years, Tehran has built a developing metro rail network which accounts for 20 million travels every day.
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![](http://in1.ccio.co/sC/b/J4/86553624058985764YHPELZH5c.jpg)
Iran meanwhile is extending its rail lines into the Central Asia and Europe as part of its plan to streamline regional trade and link up with its neighbors.
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![](http://pix.avaxnews.com/avaxnews/77/52/00005277_medium.jpeg)
Netmatzadeh said there was need for $1.5 billion of annual investment in the next six years as part of the country’s vision plan.
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![](http://www.travelphotoreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/IMG_3863-1024x770.jpg)
“My advice is that building 25,000 kilometers of rail and expanding passenger and cargo transit is achievable,” he said.
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He said Iran currently had two contracts with France’s rail transport company Alstom and Germany’s Siemens to build locomotives.
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The country itself has a sizable capacity for construction of railroad cars.
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The minister said Iran can produce five passenger train coaches and 3,000 freight wagons as well as 50-60 locomotives a year.