First Silk Road Train Reaches Tehran from Zheijiang

The first Silk Road Train arrives in Iran from China with Chinese goods, reviving the ancient Silk Road.

The Train carrying 32 commercial containers with Chinese products from Zheijing, took 14 days to make the journey of 9500km through  Kazakstan and Turkmenistan. The Iranian authorities welcomed the first Silk Road Train in the province of Tehran. The train arrived in Tehran loaded with commercial products.

According to the Iranian railway it is the revival of the ancient Silk Road. This new train service is connecting China to Iran through Turkmenistan and Kazakstan. The train took 14 days to cover the distance of 9500 kilometres from Zheijiang to Tehran.

According to the head of the Iranian railway company, Mohsen Pourseyed Aqayi the arrival of the train in Iran in less than 14 days is an extraordinary.  He also stated that it is a crucial programme for the countries on its route.

This train service will reduce the distance from Chian to Iran. According to the railway’s head of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the journey through train is 30 days shorter than the sea travel from Shanghai China to Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.

Silk Road Traina mode of generating income for Iran

According to the Iranian railway authorities, that Iran railway is making more plans for the future growth. This railway will not only stop in Tehran, but Iran railway is also determined to extend the railway to European countries for getting more income by passing trains from Iran.

It is also said that this train will leave every month and frequency will be enhanced according to the demands. According to a spokesperson of Iranian railway Sadegh Sakari, the train is run by private companies using the existing routes. China exports a big quantity of oil from Iran and it is the biggest foreign trade partner of Iran.

Chinese president Xi Jinping became the first global leader to visit Tehran since the sanctions were lifted. The two countries signed an agreement on increasing trade to $600bn over the next years. Chinese President Xi Jinping encouraged the policy and he calls it One Belt, one Road, which aimed at improving trade and transportation infrastructure between China and its western neighbours.

This New Silk Road is key to the development of northwestern China, which is distant from the southern ports of Shanghai and Hong Kong. According to the Chinese authorities, China’s New Silk Road initiative will bring another industrial revolution in the central Asian region.