TEHRAN – Iran’s rail diplomacy gained momentum on the thirty sixth Regional Meeting of Center East Railways (UIC RAME), attended by senior representatives from Turkey, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Syria, alongside officers from the Worldwide Union of Railways (UIC).
In line with the Transport and City Improvement Ministry, delegates from Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia’s public transport authority additionally joined the assembly just about.
On the opening session, Jabar Ali Zakari, Iran’s deputy transport minister and head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (often called RAI), highlighted Iran’s dynamic and purposeful strategy to regional rail diplomacy, significantly with neighboring nations.
He mentioned latest memorandums with Central Asian states, Russia, and China have led to steady progress in worldwide freight and transit volumes by means of Iran in 2025.
Zakari famous that efforts to finish rail infrastructure, hyperlink networks, scale back cargo transit instances, and increase passenger companies with neighboring states — particularly Turkey, Afghanistan, and Iraq — have been accelerating, describing such initiatives as important for regional integration and sustainable growth.
The RAME vice chair mentioned increasing rail and multimodal transit is a key precedence for Iran Railways, including that Gulf nations akin to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates provide main alternatives for cooperation.
He additionally described reconnecting rail hyperlinks between Iran and Saudi Arabia as a “historic alternative” to spice up financial progress and non secular tourism throughout Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, house to key Islamic pilgrimage facilities.
Zakari mentioned Iran was able to launch new joint working teams with regional nations to finish border initiatives, align operational requirements, strengthen rail–port connections within the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman — particularly through Chabahar Port — and develop data-sharing techniques.
Throughout the assembly, Zakari and Saudi Railways CEO Bashar al-Malik exchanged experiences in managing and sustaining rail strains in sandy environments to enhance community security.
Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan signal MOU to increase rail cooperation
On the sidelines of the discussion board, the rail authorities of Iran, Turkey, and Afghanistan signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen cooperation within the rail sector.
The five-year MOU — signed by Zakari, Turkish State Railways (TCDD) director-general Veysi Kurt, and Mohammad Ishaq Sahebzada, head of Afghanistan’s Railway Authority — goals to spice up effectivity alongside current routes, streamline cross-border procedures, increase capability, and construct a sustainable regional rail hall.
It additionally covers human useful resource growth, upkeep, infrastructure upgrades, digitalization, capability allocation, site visitors administration, and mutual technical visits by senior managers and employees.
The three sides reaffirmed their dedication to enhancing collaboration in rail upkeep, infrastructure growth, site visitors management, and coaching.
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