A Saturday report by the official IRNA news agency said that Iranian railway chief Jabbar Ali Zakeri and his Russian counterpart Oleg Belozyorov had signed the agreement during Zakeri’s presence in Russia’s prestigious railway show EXPO 1520 in Saint Petersburg.
The report said the agreement allows for mutual sharing of electronic data on the situation of the locomotive fleet, including the number of wagons and cargo containers used in the Iranian and Russian rail freight transport systems.
It said the agreement, which also requires the two sides to share navigation data of their fleet, would be a major step in efforts to digitize transportation on the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
The INSTC is an emerging cargo transit route connecting Indian Ocean countries to Central Asia, Russia, and Europe, which is becoming increasingly popular due to its economic and geopolitical benefits.
Iran has invested heavily in its transport infrastructure in recent years to increase its share of revenues from the corridor.
Government data published on Saturday showed that railways had been responsible for 12% of cargo transit via the Iranian territory in the calendar year to late March, while authorities are seeking to increase that share to 30% in the current calendar year.
The IRNA report said the rail data-sharing agreement signed between Iran and Russia will increase efficiency and safety in international transit as it allows for better monitoring and faster transportation of cargo transiting from Russia and Central Asia via Iran.
Press TV