Bam – Zahedan passenger services

This recent announcement from Iranian Railways appears to say something about Bam – Zahedan passenger services. It is in Persian and Google Translate isn’t perfect, but “Rail-based delivery of Zahedan – Bam by the Deputy Ministry of Road Construction and Development to rail, passenger and freight trains until the end of this axis are traffic.”

9 thoughts on “Bam – Zahedan passenger services

  1. 14-09-10
    Hello,

    I’ve called the train station in Zahedan to gain your needed information. They said that you can travel from Kerman to Bam by train, but there’s no train from Bam to Zahedan. Please note that however it’s a safe way to travel from Kerman to Bam, it won’t be very comfortable, since the trains are old.The tickets will cost 6000 to 20000 Tomans.

  2. 15-09-10
    hi
    as i live in Kerman, i can tell you the train from Kerman to Bam is two days in a week, but im not sure about Bam to Zahedan. by the way, there are a lot of buses going to both places from Kerman.
    if you need any other help, send me a private message
    Regards

  3. Hi. Full translation for your readers:

    13th Shahrivar, 1389 [4th September 2010]

    Stations of the South-Eastern Railway to be completed by the end of the current year and then transferred to RAI

    As reported by the public relations office of Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI): Mostafa Daavodi, General Manager of the South-Eastern Railway, in conversation with the Fars News Agency announced that stations of the South-Eastern Railway, which are currently about 80 percent physically complete, will be finished and ready for transfer to RAI by the end of the year, [March 2011 by the Gregorian calendar]. He added; “with the delivery of the Zahedan-Bam railway line by the Ministry of Road and Rail’s Directorate of Construction and Development, both passenger and freight services will be running on the line by the end of the year.”

    Daavodi stated; “It has been estimated that once this line is operational, around 500 thousand passengers and 2 million tonnes of freight will be moved in its first year.” He went on; “When the Bam-Zahedan Railway goes into service, more than 13 thousand jobs will be created. Of this number, 400 will be engaged by the railway [itself] and more than 3 thousand will be employed by the private sector [in railway-support occupations?].

    The General Manager of the South-Eastern Railway added; “Around 10 thousand people will be engaged indirectly, in trade and construction of goods warehouses (sheds).”He continued; “All facilities exist on the line for passenger services, but this matter depends on the policy of the Directorate of Construction and Development of the National Transportation Infrastructure [Organisation].”

    Referring to the terminus of the ECO Railway in Zahedan, Daavodi said; “In terms of charges and time, [the railway will be more] cost effective for traders than other means of transportation such as shipping.

    The General Manager of the South-East Railway noted that in terms of the operation of the railway line, “Only construction of some facilities such as platforms for passenger trains are required and there is no problem concerning rail safety .” He predicted that it will be at most the end of the year before passenger services begin.

    Source: Railways News Headquarters

  4. Thanks for the translation, which looks like the definitive answer!

    I spoke to someone from an Iranian railway industry supply company today, who also told me the line is not yet open.

  5. First-ever ECO container train delayed due to floods

    TAHIR AMIN
    ISLAMABAD (October 02, 2010) : The worst ever floods in the history of Pakistan triggered by torrential rains have not only resulted in loss of about Rs 2 billion to the Pakistan Railways (PR) but have also delayed the first ever international container train under the banner of Economic Co-operation Organisation (ECO), it is learnt reliably.

    Now the 2nd demonstration train will be launched from Istanbul (Turkey) via Tehran (Iran) to Islamabad (Pakistan) from October 6, informed sources in the Railway Ministry revealed. It is for the third time that the ECO container train has been postponed. Train was first scheduled to be launched on regular basis from August 2010 but due to operational shortcomings it was postponed. The demonstration train on a trial basis for the second time was then scheduled to be launched on August 2, 2010.

    However due to floods in the country, rail track between Jakababad and Sibbi has been cut which accounts for the postponement, sources added. Sources revealed that the first demonstration train had taken 14 days to reach Istanbul from Islamabad, which was too long. Technical experts tried to curtail the time from 14 to 11 days.

    Due to security reasons it was not possible to run the train at night in some parts of Balochistan, Sindh and Turkey. Similarly there was no agreement on fare fixing. Member countries are working to finalise the fare according to the international standard, sources maintained. Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani had launched ECO demonstration container train, from Islamabad to Istanbul via Tehran on August 14, 2009. At the time it was decided to work on the modalities of making the container train on Islamabad-Tehran and Istanbul route fully operational.

    Technical consultants and experts had finalised a report with the objective of sorting out the shortcomings on the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul route and it was submitted on January 27 in Tehran. Sources revealed that the trial run of the train had identified impediments and obstacles en route over vast terrains of about 6500 Km, spread over three countries.

    When contacted Saleem Javed Director Operations and Spokesperson of the Railway Ministry confirmed that floods damaged railway tracks in several areas of Quetta and Sindh. The ECO container train was scheduled to be launched on August 2, 2010, however now it would be launched on October 6, 2010 from Istanbul (Turkey).

    Copyright Business Recorder, 2010

  6. Tehran, Ankara agree to enhance rail transport capacity
    Tehran Times Economic Desk

    TEHRAN – The director of International Affairs of Iran Railways Organization stated that Iran and Turkey have agreed to increase the capacity for transferring goods up to 2 million tons a year and connecting the railway computer network of the two countries in the near future.

    Abbas Nazari told the Mehr News Agency about the agreements reached in the Iranian officials’ recent visit to Turkey including the definite building of two ferryboats for carrying train wagons over Lake Van.

    “The existing ferryboats have a capacity to carry 8-9 wagons which transports some 300,000 tons of goods a year, while the new ferryboats will be able to carry 50 wagons each, thus increasing the transport of goods up to 2 million tons a year,” he explained

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