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RAI: Number of EU-bound transit trains from China to Iran exceeds 60
Touching on the increase in the number of the Chinese trains passing through Iran, Zakeri emphasized the need to reduce transportation costs between Iran and China in order to boost exports.
“To date, 60 trains from China to Iran and the European Union have entered our country, and today, three trains are on the verge of entering the country at the Incheh Borun border,” he said.
Zakeri referred to the signing of six-party memorandums of understanding to define a common tariff in the countries along the route and said such measures would make the southern branch of the East-West Corridor and the Iranian route more active.
The head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, pointing to his recent trip to China with the Minister of Roads and Urban Development in Xi'an, said Xi'an is a cargo hub for connecting Chinese cargo to Europe, and by 2030, trade between the European Union and China will reach 530 million tons annually, which is currently less than 100 million tons.
“Currently, the Chinese government provides subsidies to countries along this route for the development of rail transport, paying between 100 and 150 million dollars annually to Kazakhstan, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and other CIS countries for the development of rail infrastructure; this has led to an increase in rail transport on this route from zero to 3% in the last 10 years,” he said.
“In this regard, we also need to take steps to gain a larger share of the transit and cargo transport on this route, and among these activities is the development of logistics centers in the country and establishing connections between them.”
Zakeri underscored efforts aimed at developing transportation activities across the country, including the development of logistics centers and their interaction with similar centers in neighboring and adjacent countries, which will boost the economy of this sector.