Central Asia to be linked with Iranian railways and Persian Gulf via electrified rail line
Last week Iranian Bank of Industry and Mine and the Russian Vnesheconombank (VEB) signed agreement worth of €1.2 billion on financing electrification of Garmsar-Inceburun railway in Iran. 500-km lone line Garmsar-Inceburun is the extension to the steel corridor Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran, which is connecting with the Iranian railway network and provides Central Asia with the access to the Persian Gulf. The project agreement between LLC "RZD international" and JSC "Islamic Republic of Iran Railways" was signed in 2015. The start of construction and electrification works is scheduled for July this year. The Russian side assumes that the US sanctions will not affect these plans, and clarifies this issue. As commented in an interview with RIA Novosti CEO of Russian Railways Oleg Belozerov, the project of electrification in Iran relates directly to rail transport and is considered to be a civil project that does not fall under the sanctions. The project provides for a set of works, as a result of which it will be possible to use electric rolling stock on this section of the railway, as well as the supply of materials and equipment, the supply of track equipment and locomotives. En route Garmsar-Inceburun 32 stations and 95 tunnels will be electrified, 7 traction substations, 11 section pillars, 6 duty posts of contact station and power supply administration building will be built.
