Iran's rail network is operating at full capacity across all 13 border crossings, with transit volumes showing significant year-on-year growth despite social media rumors of disruptions, according to Shahriyar Naghizadeh, Director General of Foreign Trade at the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways.
Speaking to IRNA, Naghizadeh confirmed that the Sarakhs and Incheh Borun terminals—the country's primary rail gateways to Turkmenistan—are processing goods without interruption. Turkmenistan serves as a critical link connecting Iran to CIS members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization via both the East-West corridor (China–Europe) and the North-South corridor (Russia–Kazakhstan–Iran). "Given this strategic positioning, border exchanges with Turkmenistan are of paramount importance to our national economy," he stated.
The official dismissed disinformation campaigns targeting the supply chain, emphasizing that freight flows have not only continued but accelerated. Combined throughput at Sarakhs and Incheh Borun currently stands at approximately 5 million tons annually. Under Articles 57 and 58 of Iran's Seventh Development Plan, the railway authority has set a target to more than double this capacity to 10 million tons through station expansions, additional siding tracks, and enhanced loading/unloading infrastructure. Close coordination with Iran's Customs Administration is underway to minimize dwell times.
On the China-Iran route, rail traffic has surged from 7 trains per year to 3 trains per month—a nearly fivefold increase—reflecting robust demand and deepening cooperation with Kazakhstan, which provides access to Chinese rail networks. Meanwhile, northern Caspian ports of Amirabad and Caspian have seen throughput multiply several times over, as Iran develops alternative maritime-rail links to Russia amid shifting southern trade dynamics.
With 15,000 km of rail infrastructure and a fleet of 35,000 freight wagons, Iran Railways is positioning itself as a regional logistics backbone. "Our objective is seamless, cost-effective, and safe cargo movement from entry points to final destinations," Naghizadeh concluded, reaffirming the network's readiness to handle growing east-west and north-south transit volumes.
