Tehran: The managing director of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, Jabbar-Ali Zakeri, has announced plans to launch new train routes connecting Tehran with Ankara, the capital of Turkey, and Herat in Afghanistan in the coming weeks.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Zakeri made the announcement on Sunday during a ceremony focused on passenger rail investments, which was also attended by Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh. The railways chief detailed that the Tehran-Ankara train is scheduled to commence operations within two months, while the route to Herat will begin service within a month.

Further plans include the establishment of train routes to Mary in Turkmenistan and Dushanbe in Tajikistan, as disclosed by Zakeri. He highlighted the recent commencement of the Tehran-Van train service, which resumed after a five-year delay, emphasizing that all international train routes from Iran aim to enhance connectivity between nations.

Zakeri also underscored the importance of developing tourist trains, noting Iran’s railway potential as a significant source of revenue.