The recent meeting, attended by officials and experts from the country's rail industry, discussed the critical situation of the decline in freight speed on the rail network and solutions to support rail industries. The freight speed on this network has dropped below 4 kilometers per hour, causing significant problems for manufacturing and repair factories in the rail industry.
Proposed Solutions for Reviving Rail Industries
Morteza Bagheri, head of the Strategic Planning and Technology Development Office of the Railways Company, presented a report on the efforts made to link tax credits to the real needs of the rail network, mentioning the rail induction welding project, which has been funded with approximately 100 billion tomans by a company. This project has managed to cover half of the costs through tax credits and the other half through bank facilities.
Bagheri also referred to the revival of halted locomotives using hybrid and battery technologies, stating: "We have currently initiated a project that, in collaboration with local universities and provincial elites, aims to solve the rail issues of various regions at lower costs." He announced the identification of idle railway structures to be converted into innovation centers and rail CVCs, adding that these centers will be considered acceptable costs and tax credits.
Challenges Facing Manufacturing Factories
Engineer Mojtaba Lotfi, a board member of the Iranian Rail Industries Association, pointed to the poor condition of the country's rail factories, stating: "The order-taking and workflow conditions in this sector are critical. If any of these factories close, a massive amount of technical documents and skilled specialists will be lost." He also emphasized the need to support the production chain and prevent its destruction.
Lotfi, referring to past technological experiences in localizing locomotive chassis technology, called for more attention to supporting these industries and injecting work orders into factories. He said: "Why should locomotive refurbishments be transferred to unsuitable depots when our factories are idle with advanced capacities?"
Engineer Rahmatollah Pourbabayi, chairman of the board of the Iranian Rail Industries Association, further elaborated on the structure and history of this employer organization, announcing its activities since 2006 with about 70 official members. He emphasized the need for effective industry participation in higher authorities and the Iran Chamber of Commerce and called for the formation of a joint working group between the association, the railways, and the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology.
This meeting was held while members of the rail industry are seeking more attention to the problems and challenges in this sector and are looking for solutions to revive these industries and prevent stagnation. It seems that, given the existing capacities and legal supports, there is a possibility to revive this industry and increase freight speed on the country's rail network.
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