Rail and road transit are steadily increasing through Iran's territory as transited freight recorded 2.8 million tons in the last three months showing a 43 percent increase compared to the same period in the last year, according to Mohammadreza Hedayati, the director-general of Transit and International Transportation Bureau at Iran’s Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization (RMTO).
Hedayati, speaking to IRIB, pointed to the increasing demands for road transit due to the change in the logistics system and increased costs for [maritime] freight transit.
Iran targets 20 million tons of transit a year in the road sector which necessitates good connections to the railway networks and border terminals, he informed.
Relevantly, the inauguration of the Razi Border terminal is expected by the next month that is joint Iran-Turkey Border Terminal.
Quite recently, transit through the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) was unprecedently put into effect following the official launch of the eastern section of the Corridor by the arrival of the first Russian rail freight transit to India through Iran on 12 July.
The train leaving Russia from Chekhov on July 6 is heading to India's Nhava Sheva Port. It has entered Iran through Sarakhs Border after traveling 3800 kilometers through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
The train carrying 39 containers, is transporting a 1600 km rail route in Iran southwards to Bandar Abbas Port.
International North-South Transport Corridor is a corridor to increase trade between India and Russia. This multi-modal trade route is 7200 Km long and aims at reducing the costs between India and Russia by about 30 percent and the transit time from 40 days by more than half.