{{Short description|State-owned rail company}} {{About|railway company in Iran|railway network|Rail transport in Iran}} {{Use dmy dates|date = February 2019}} {{Infobox rail | name = Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI) | other_name = | logo = | logo_size = | logo_alt = | system_map = | map_size = | map_alt = | map_caption = | image = Map Iran railways en.svg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Iran railway 2020 | locale = Iran | start_year = | end_year = | length = {{convert|12998|km|mi|0}} | website = {{URL|www.rai.ir/}} }} {{Infobox company | name = Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI) | logo = | type = | industry = Rail transport | hq_location_city = Tehran | hq_location_country = Iran | key_people = | revenue = | revenue_year = | operating_income = | net_income = | net_income_year = | owner = | num_employees = | num_employees_year = | parent = | subsid = | footnotes = }}

The '''Islamic Republic of Iran Railways''' (abbreviated as '''IRIR,''' or sometimes as '''RAI,''' or as '''IRI Railway''') ({{langx|fa|راه‌آهن جمهوری اسلامی ایران|translit=Râh âhan-e Jomhuri-ye Eslâmi-ye Irân}}) is the national state-owned railway system of Iran. The '''Raja Passenger Train Company''' is an associate of the IR,<ref>Sources: *{{citation|url=http://www.raja.ir/|work=www.raja.ir|script-title=fa:شرکت قطار‌های مسافربری رجا|trans-title=Raja Passenger Trains Company|language=fa, en|access-date=31 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090402071214/http://www.raja.ir/|archive-date=2 April 2009|url-status=live}}, company website *{{citation| url = http://www.msedv.com/rai/archive.html#04| title = News Archive| at = RAJA Passenger Trains Operating Company| work = www.msedv.com| quote = Passenger Trains Operating Company, RAJA, is a joint stock company affiliated to Islamic Republic of Iran's Railway Company (RAI). It was established in October 1996 as a part of RAI restructuring process, aimed at separating passenger and freight train operations management from infrastructure maintenance and development.| access-date = 14 January 2012| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100406035157/http://www.msedv.com/rai/archive.html#04| archive-date = 6 April 2010| url-status = live}}</ref> and manages its passenger trains. The '''Railway Transportation Company''' is an associate of the IR, which manages its freight transport. The Ministry of Roads & Urban Development is the state agency that oversees the IRIR. Some 33 million tonnes of goods and 29 million passengers are transported annually by the rail transportation network, accounting for 9 percent and 11 percent of all transportation in Iran, respectively (2011).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tehrantimes.com/economy-and-business/94182-iran-to-extend-rail-network-to-15000-kilometers-by-2015 |title=Iran to extend rail network to 15,000 kilometers by 2015 - Tehran Times |access-date=2012-02-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204213235/http://www.tehrantimes.com/economy-and-business/94182-iran-to-extend-rail-network-to-15000-kilometers-by-2015 |archive-date=2012-02-04 }}</ref>

==Operations== {{Main|Rail transport in Iran}} In 2008, the IR operated 11,106&nbsp;km of rail with a further 18,900&nbsp;km in various stages of development.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rai.ir/Site.aspx?ParTree=A01011 |title=راه آهن ج.ا.ا<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=9 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815011811/http://www.rai.ir/Site.aspx?ParTree=A01011 |archive-date=15 August 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Almost all of this is standard gauge of {{RailGauge|sg}}, but 94&nbsp;km are Russian gauge of {{RailGauge|1520mm}} to link up to ex-Soviet Union border states. There is also the no-longer-isolated Indian gauge section of {{RailGauge|1676mm}} from Zahedan to the Pakistan border that continues to Quetta and the Indian sub-continent. The extent of double-track lines is 1,082&nbsp;km. The Jolfa–Tabriz line is electrified (148&nbsp;km). In 2006, IR reported that it possessed 565 engines, 1,192 passenger coaches, and 16,330 wagons. The vast majority of the engines are diesel-powered.{{fact|date=January 2025}}

==Affiliate companies==

*''Raja Passenger Train Company'' is an associate of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (IRIR) and manages its passenger trains, including international trains linking Tehran to Istanbul and Damascus. Raja Passenger Train Company carried more than 4 million passengers during 2003–05. The number of passengers traveling by rail increased from 11.7 million in 2000 to 17.3 million in the year ending March 2005. Every passenger wagon annually carries 7,340 passengers per km on average (whereas the figure is 3,950 people per km in Turkey and 5,220 passengers per km in Egypt). Private enterprises are expected to operate 5,000 wagons by 2009 (50% of total).<ref name="id20081216">{{cite news|url=http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3296/html/economy.htm |title=Rail Privatization Underway |date=16 December 2008 |newspaper=Iran Daily |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090130042542/http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3296/html/economy.htm |archive-date=30 January 2009 }}</ref> *''Railway Transportation Company'' is also a subsidiary of the IRIR which manages its freight transport while the [https://web.archive.org/web/20020311121203/http://www.mrt.ir/ Ministry of Roads and Transportation] is the state agency that oversees the IRIR. In Iran, for every wagon, some 1,050 tons of freight are being transported (2008).<ref name="id20081216" /> *''Zarand Company'' provides the national railroad system with freight and passenger train carriages.<ref>{{cite news | title=Privatizing Railways | newspaper=Iran Daily | date=30 December 2006 | url=http://iran-daily.com/1385/2746/html/focus.htm | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070112053537/http://www.iran-daily.com/1385/2746/html/focus.htm | archive-date=12 January 2007 }}</ref>

==See also== * Iranian railway industry * Railway stations in Iran * Trans-Iranian Railway * DESA diesel * Tehran Metro * North–South Transport Corridor

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.rai.ir Islamic Republic of Iran Railways Official Website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520200245/https://www.rai.ir/ |date=20 May 2021 }} * [http://www.iri.co.ir/ Iranian Rail Industries Development Co (IRICO) Official Website] * [http://www.raja.ir/ Raja Rail Transport Company (Buying Iran Train Tickets) Website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090402071214/http://www.raja.ir/ |date=2 April 2009 }} * [http://www.mrud.ir Ministry of Roads & Urban Development Of Iran Official Website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520190443/http://www.mrud.ir/ |date=20 May 2021 }}

Category:Railway companies of Iran Category:Iranian brands Category:Government-owned railway companies