Iran uses Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan as international rail corridor

Hossein Ashouri further remarked that through the planning made and employment of the necessary requirements transit of goods in the rail network last year registered a growth rate of 52%.

With the removal of sanctions Iran's debts were paid to the railways of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkey, he said, adding that the debts were caused as a result of sanctions and transfer of money while Iran's railways had no financial restraints in this respect.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Ashouri said after the opening of Inche Boroun route several meetings were held with the railway officials of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan in order to define the rail route within the framework of a corridor and determine a common tariff and a defined time for the transfer of commodities.

However, he added, in the last quarter of 2015 this measure was taken and for 2016 he expressed the hope that an equal tariff for a specified period of time will be determined through a trilateral meeting, IRNA reports. 

Stressing that Kazakhstan is after presenting itself as an international rail corridor, the official said: "We tried to use the capacity in order to transfer Chinese cargo to the Persian Gulf through Iran.'

To this end, the first container train departed from China and after taking 10,399 km in 14 days arrived in Tehran railway station on Feb. 15.