Russia’s cargo train heading to Saudi Arabia arrives in Iran
The first transit train carrying goods from Russia to Saudi Arabia arrived in the port city of Bandar Abbas in the southern Iranian province of Hormuzgan.
After roaming 1,610 kilometers on Iran’s railway network, the container train with its 31 wagons arrived in Bandar Abbas, reported Tasnim news agency. The cargo of the train will later be forwarded from the southern city to Saudi Arabia by ship.
Selecting the Bandar Abbas route for the transit of goods from Russia to Saudi Arabia will reduce the customs tariffs to almost half the normal amounts, boost the rail transport industry, and increase the share of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways in the transit of goods. The train left Russia’s Chelyabinsk freight station on June 21 and transited through Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran. The route reduces delivery times by several days and is less expensive than the alternative maritime route through the Suez Canal.