In a meeting with the Iranian Economic Council Commission on Saturday, Sa’id Nejad said that to develop our fleet of railway cars we have bought 100 locomotive sets, 20 of which have been delivered while the rest are under construction at Pars Wagon Co.
Another 100 locomotives have been ordered from Alstom to solve the shortages, he added.
In 2000, Iran’s state-owned Railway Company placed an order worth $201.8 million with the French engineering group Alstom for 100 type AD43C 3200kW diesel-electric locomotives for freight and passenger services.
Alstom won the contract during President Mohammad Khatami’s first ever visit to France in 2000.
According to International Railway Journal, the locomotives are powered by Alstom Ruston diesel engines and Onix asynchronous drive systems. The first 20 units, recently delivered, have been manufactured entirely at Alstom's factory in Belford while the rest are set to be constructed by Iranian Pars Wagon Company.
Sa’id Nejad said that to pave the way for more development in the country’s railway industry we have managed to buy 80-passenger locomotives from Siemens Co., as well as 2,200 freight wagons, and 248 passenger wagons.
He predicted that by the end of the country’s Fourth Economic Development Plan (2005-2010) the railway industry could meet its target of transferring 36 million of passengers and 64 million tons of goods a year.
However, today we are faced with an annual demand of 50 million tons of goods and 80 million passengers, Sa’id Nejad added.
During the Third Economic Development Plan (2000-2005), 403 passenger wagons and 286 locomotives have been repaired in the country, the managing director said.
Sa’id Nejad referred to the Qazvin-Rasht-Astara railway project that is currently underway in northern Iran to connect Iran with the Russian and European railway network saying that it is the most important development project and is a set priority.
Elsewhere in his statements Sa’id Nejad discussed railway industry privatization Over Rls.500 billion (about $500 million) of banking credit has been allocated to the private sector.
He said that 13 freight and 5 passenger service private companies have thus far been incorporate.
AF/DWN/IS
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MNA