Iran Railways has decided to offer discounts of up to fifty per cent to exporters of goods by rail to encourage the growing trend of rail transportation in the export of cargo. 

Hossein Ashouri, a senior official with Iran Railways, was cited in Azernews, explaining that the share of exported products moved by rail has increased by 12 per cent over the last year. The offered discounts would encourage a further increase and transporting goods by rail is more economical and safer than road freight, the official argued.

Rail freight growth

Iranian rail freight transport volumes have increased rapidly since March this year. In the period 21st of March – 8th of August, transit of goods via railway increased by 55 per cent compared the same period last year. A year-on-year comparison in January indicated a growth of 14 per cent. Freight volumes especially surged on route between Iran and Turkey and Pakistan, by 150 per cent and 90 per cent respectively.

The Iranian calendar year starts on 21st of March. In the past Iranian calendar year, 1.2 million tonnes of freight was moved via the national railway network. Iran expects a total volume of 1.8 million tonnes this year. The Iranian government has the ambition to move 30 per cent of its freight per rail by the end of its current Five-Year National Development Plan (2021). It also ambitions to increase the share of freight moved from ports, which now accounts to ten per cent.