TEHRAN, Dec. 16 (MNA) – An Iranian railway official announced that 3,300 kilometers of railway are under construction 561 kilometers which will come on stream by next year.

Khairalla Khademi, the deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Devlopment of Iran made the comments on the two-day trip to South Khorasan Province on Friday long with the President Ebrahim Raeisi on Friday.

"3,300 kilometers in the railway sector are being carried out, of which 561 kilometers will be put into operation by next year," Khademi said while talking to reporters.

"It is planned that 561 kilometers of railway tracks with physical progress of more than 70% will come on stream by next year," he elaborated more.

Khademi added, "1,35 kilometers of motorway projects are being implemented in the country, which is a significant figure compared to the existing 2,800 kilometers of freeways."

Stating that some 40% of the country's existing motorways are under construction, he added, "293 kilometers of this figure are planned to be exploited that's to say that 3.5 times the annual average of the country's highway construction will be realized next year."

The deputy road minister also said that most the highway projects have physical progress above 85%, therefore this goal is achievable.

MNA/5656712