BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28. Physical works on the construction of the Ardabil-Mianeh railroad located in northwestern Iran are 91 percent complete, Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development of Iran Khairullah Khademi told reporters, Trend reports.
According to him, this 175 km long railway line passes through mountainous terrain with complex geography. A total of 62 tunnels of 24,000 meters and 29 bridges of 4,300 meters have been built on the mentioned railway line.
Khademi added that the rails have been laid on 142 kilometers of the railway line so far.
The deputy minister stated that about 57.1 trillion rials (about $127 million) have been spent on the construction of the Ardabil-Mianeh railroad line.
The construction of Iran's Ardabil-Mianeh railway line began in 2005. This 175-kilometer-long railway is being built in 11 parts. Some 35 percent of the railway line passes through mountainous areas. After the launch of the railway line, it is projected that 2.5 million tons of cargo and 600,000 passengers will be transported annually in the first year.
Meanwhile, in 20 years, the railway will be able to transport 4 million tons of cargo and 1.5 million passengers a year. Iran considers the launch of the railway line important from an economic and transit point of view. Iran considers the commissioning of this railway line important from the point of view of economy and transit.
To note, the length of Iran's railway lines is 14,984 kilometers. A total of 993 locomotives, 29,950 freight cars, and 2,178 passenger wagons are operating on Iran's railroad lines.