TEHRAN: The volume of cargo transported through the Northwest Regional Railway, which links several provinces of Iran by rail, increased by 12 percent during the first six months of the current Iranian year, reflecting a growing reliance on rail for both local and foreign transit needs.

According to Trend News Agency, Manouchehr Safari, the Director General of Iran’s Northwest Regional Railways Authority, announced the increase at a press conference. He detailed that 177 million tons of cargo were transported along the North-Western Railway during the period from March 20 through September 21, 2023. This marked a significant increase from the 158 million ton kilometers recorded during the same period in the previous year.

Safari emphasized that the majority of the transported goods included iron ore concentrate, grain and animal feed, fuel oil, zinc ingots, sulfur, among others. He highlighted that the volume of cargo loaded in the North-Western Railway Department for the six months amounted to 160,000 tons
, which is 75,000 tons more than in the same period last year.

The official also pointed out that the Northwest Railway primarily serves for local and foreign transit. The Northwest Regional Authority of Iranian Railways controls the railroads in Qazvin, Zanjan, East Azerbaijan, and West Azerbaijan, covering a total length of 601 kilometers.