Railway electrification in Iran

Tehran-Mashhad Railway Electrification (TMRE)
Railway network in Iran
Overview
System	Electric railway
Status	not started
Locale	Iran
Termini	Tehran Mashhad
Stations	49, train length 700 m (35 ch)
Services	80% passenger, 20% freight
Daily ridership	30,000 pass.
Operation
Opened	1957
Owner	RAI
Operator(s)	RAJA
Rolling stock	Prima
Technical
Line length	926 double track, UIC 60, CWR 98%
Track length	2,200 km (1,367 mi)
No. of tracks	2 (4 track, 114 km tehran garmsar)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) Standard gauge
Loading gauge	Axle Load = 22.5 ton
Electrification	25 kV AC 50 Hz
Operating speed	200 km/h (124 mph) pass. trains, 250 km/h (155 mph) tilting trains
Highest elevation	900–1,500 metres (3,000–4,900 ft)

Railway electrification in Iran describes the past and present electrification systems used to supply traction current to rail transport in Iran with a chronological record of development, a list of lines using each system, and a history and a technical description of each system.

The project is sometimes abbreviated to RAIELEC, in which RAI is the abbreviation of Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (Persian: برقی کردن راه آهن در ایران, abbr: بكرا).

Early electrification: Tabriz-Jolfa

After initial negotiations in 1969, railway electrification in Iran started in 1975, with a contract with Russia to electrify the Tabriz to Jolfa route in East Azarbaijan Province near the border with the former Soviet Union. The work would include a Bogie exchange facility. The Tabriz-Jolfa line was originally established in 1916 (before the main network in 1938) with the wide gauge 1524 mm and was changed to standard gauge after connection of Tabriz to the national network. Tabriz-Jolfa is a single line rail track 146 km long with nine stations in between. The maximum grade is 2.8% and the minimum curve radius is 400m.

Electrification specification

The electric line voltage is 25 kV, 50 Hz, ( 25 kV AC railway electrification) with substations in Tabriz, Marand and Jolfa fed by 132 kV from the national grid. The end substations have three 15MW transformer and the Marand substation has four transformers.

Rank		Year	Orig.	Dest.	Dis.	Voltage, KV	power, MW	SS Dis., Km	mast D., m	stagger len., m	pant. w., m	mast C., m	Height., m	Block l., m	Wire mm^2	Tens., Kn	Reg. brk.	Speed., Km/h
1	Iran	1976	kampsax	standard		25	10-15		70	0.4	1.9	3.0	5-6	1500	107	10-12		160
1	Iran	1985	Tabriz	Jolfa	146	25	15	70	50			3	5.2	1200	100	1500	0	100
2	Iran	1997	Tehran	Karaj	35	2^25	63	60	55			3.2	5.2	1200	120	1500	1	140
3	Iran	2010	Tabriz	Azarshahr	46	25	15		55			3.2	5.2	1200	100	1500		140
4	Iran	2012	Tehran	Mashhad	926	2^25	50	90	68			3.5	6.2	1300	120	2000	1	250

Track specification

Track specifications in current and planned electrified lines in Iran are as follows:

Rank	Year	Orig.	Dest.	Dis.	Tunnel	Stations	D.T.%	T.C. Dis.	clear. Height	clear. Width	Train Length	Train Load	Axle load	Leaner Load	rail weight	Con. Weld	Min. Curve	Max. Grade	Max. Speed	Station Speed	Train control
1	1891	tabriz	jolfa	146	0.1	7	0		4.7	3	400	2000	20	6	46-60		400	28	100	60
2	1956	Tehran	mashhad	926	0	49	100	4.75	5.7	3.5	750	3500	22.5	7	60	95%	700	15	250	80	ETCS 2
3	1928	Ahvaz	Tehran	62	816	45	20	4.5	4.7	3.1	420	2000	20	6.5	46-60	30	250	15	160	60

Operational information

country	Year	Orig.	Dest.	Dis.	D.Track %	train cap.	Train Length	Train weight	passenger	freight	Pass. A.S.	frt. A.S.	T.P. demand	T.F. demand	Max. Speed	max P.C.	Max F.C.
Iran	1957	Tehran	Mashhad	926	100	60^2	750	3500	13	2	80	30	50	10	160	50	10
Iran	1993	Bafgh	Bandarabbas	630	75	30^2	1500	7000	2	10	90	35	4	60	160	5	100

Recent projects

Pilot projects

Recently another contract was signed with the Russian railway RZD in February 2009 to connect the Tabriz electric line to Azarshahr to the south, and continuing to Bonab and Maragheh and possibly to Urmia through the Shahid Kalantary bridge. That has the rail track inside, like Oresund Bridge. The existing electric line is going to be connected to Oroumieh and Maragheh and also Shabestar and Salmas, relying on existing facilities and locomotives. On the northern route it is planned to connect Soofian to Shabestar and Salmas.

Main project

A tender for electrification of the Tehran-Mashhad double track line, would supply 70 electric locomotives with cab signaling that will increase the speed to 200 km/h for passenger car trains and 250 km/h for tilting trains. Electric Multiple Train (EMU) will reduce the existing journey time from 12 hours down to 6 hours. The line is equipped with Optical fiber communication and CTC center for railway signal. This project as well as electrification and locomotives, also includes SCADA, 5 years maintenance, and back up power generation. The contract includes dual mode vehicles for maintenance.

Effects on stations

The layout of stations in Iran such as Tehran and Mashhad train stations will be affected by electrification. The railway platform in other stations could be longer in the future.

New locomotive specification

The passenger locomotives (with (Bo-Bo) according to UIC classification of locomotive axle arrangements) continuous tractive effort is more than 240 kn and for freight (Co-Co) is more than 480 kn and the all weather adhesion is at least 33%. The passenger locomotives are equipped with head end power (HEP).

The desired locomotives prototype would be available 6 months sooner than end date of inauguration to pass the Homologation phase. The mockup and pilot experiment for EMU could be used to expedite the accepting process.

locomotive approval test

The locomotive test and approval, homologation would be done according to RAI, UIC, AAR, TTCI Transportation Technology Center and like SNCF Class BB 75000.

Tendering process

The initial study was done by RAI vice president for planning and international affairs in 2003 specially by calculating the benefit of electrification in locomotive saving in long passenger trains that was argued by the railway research center MATRAI. After convincing the top managers and management and planning organization (MPO), it was approved by the government to make a feasibility study for electrification and this was accepted by the parliament in 2007.

The study was carried out by a joint of Metra and Italferr according to United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and FIDIC recommendations and Tehran—Mashhad was assigned as the first priority for being electrified. After this phase the tendering pre-qualification was prepared by a new joint venture of Metra and Systra and the request for proposal (RFP) was released with conceptual design and by result obligations.

Future projects

Planned projects

It is planned to expand electrification to the northwest up to Tabriz (with 200 km/h speed for passenger trains and 250 for tilting EMU or such trains like Railjet^{[citation needed]}) that is part of Silk Road and the transit route from Almaty to Istanbul and islamabad to Istanbul as one of main task and objectives of ECO Economic Cooperation Organization and one of the emphasized routes of ESCAP United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

The first phase of this project will be from Tehran to Zanjan (city) to make it more economic and also to prepare the new under construction short cut from Tabriz to Mianeh that will decrease the distance from Tehran to Tabriz about 100 km and for this stepwise plan the dual mode or Electro-diesel locomotive could help justifying the project.

Electrification projects

A brief study was done to prepare a Comprehensive planning for electrification development in RAI.

Route	Length	traffic 2011	fuel saving	Date	Max. speed
origin-destination	km	million	million liter	year	km/h
Tehran-Mashhad	926	20 pass. +5 frt.	250	2012	250
Tehran-bandarabbas	1350	10 pass. + 60 frt.	4000	2014	160
Tehran-Tabriz	600	20 pass. + 5 frt.	100	2014	250
Chadormaloo-Ardakan	220	1pass. + 10frt.	100	2011	120

High speed projects

High speed history in Iran

High speed rail projects in Iran began with the road and transportation minister investigating Japan's shinkansen high speed trains in 1974. He asked the Japanese to prepare a proposal for construction of a new and dedicated HSR from Tehran to Mashhad. Subsequently, a delegation was sent from JARTS to do this and finally they proposed three options in 1976 as follows:

• 1: Double tracking and electrification of existing line to 160 km/h (estimated cost to upgrade: about $1 billion).
• 2: Dedicated high speed line at 210 km/h (estimated cost to upgrade: about $4 billion).
• 3: Dedicated high speed line at 260 km/h. Estimated to take about 10 years. (Estimated cost to upgrade: about $7 billion).

Electrification step to high speed

This project will enable the economically introduction of High-speed rail HSR gradually perhaps from Garmsar to Semnan, and the final goal is to have less than 3 hours for wide body high speed trains in a dedicated high speed line with road rail parallel layout.

There are two high-speed rail line projects in Iran, between Tehran and Isfahan, as well as Tehran to Mashhad. The planned Tehran-Isfahan HSR speed has been increased to 350 km/h and the section between Tehran and Qom is going to have a new dedicated alignment for 350 km/h (or even more up to 380 according to Chinese exprince with Bombardier China Railways CRH1); connecting Tehran to Imam Khomeini International Airport, possibly connected by monorail, and to a new multi-mode terminal in Qom with a road rail parallel layout with freeway connecting to Isfahan HSR.

Proposals

Existing network connection

By electrification it would be possible to connect more cities to high-speed network, like Arak, Yazd, Ahwaz, Shiraz, and Kerman and in the northwest corridor to Tabriz, and Ardabil.

Comprehensive Transport Study of Iran

Parallel to the dynamic and flexible policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding socio-economic development plan, Comprehensive Transportation Studies of Iran (CTSI), has been implemented to design an optimum and multilateral transportation system best in order to satisfy economical and secure movement of goods and passengers. The overall target of this plan is to prepare a program including reports and studies that comprises the main strategies for leading the Islamic Republic of Iran’s transportation system as well as determining the priorities of allocating resources by considering the existing policies, criteria, necessities and priorities.

Hence, the CTSI project is planned for achieving an optimum transportation system based on betterment of current situation and presenting investment priorities of transportation infrastructures in a twenty-year outlook in order to provide means for economical and secure movement of Goods and passengers with a constant view to economic, social and cultural development plan policies of country.

High speed projects

Route	Length	traffic forecast	Date	Max. speed	fuel saving	life saving	time saving
origin-destination	km	million	year	km/h	million liter	person	million hours
Tehran-Qom-Esfehan	413	50 pass	2012	350	600	1500	200

Speed options for 1000 km and 20 million passengers

prices in million Euro

speed km/h	trip time	civil works	equipment	stations	land+study	rolling stock	total
250	5	1000	1600	1000	300	2000	5900
300	4	1000	1600	1000	300	1600
350	3.5	1000	1700	1000	300	1500
400	3	1000	1800	1000	300	1700

The main factors that are different in above options could be referred to as the equipment for track and electrification that will be increased by speed and also the rolling stock that for higher speed will have a slightly higher price (about 10%) but the productivity that increases considerably because of lower time of trip that enables more density of seats with seat pitch about 50%.

Freight projects

On freight corridor, the electrification of Bafgh—Bandarabbas in Persian Gulf is planned as a Build-Operate-Transfer project with future continuation to Tehran and Intermodal freight transport at both ends plus the Classification yard.

Bandarabbas is close to Gheshm Island that has 100 km length and could be connected by bridge. This line might also transport oil.

Iron ore is one of the main commodities on this line, especially from Golgohar mine near Sirjan, Choghart and Chadormaloo near Bafgh to Isfahan for two steel plants and steel mills named Zobahan (Esfahan Steel Company) and Mobarakeh.

As the rail connection with Zahedan will be inaugurated in near future, it will make it possible to have a direct transit line from Central Asia to Pakistan and India possibly with variable gauge bogies and could be completed with a link to Chabahar port in the south east of the country.

The business plan to justify the electrification and supplying locomotives is going to be prepared.

Electrification investment

Transport demand is increased more than GDP in freight and less than it in passenger sector, and it is essential to provide appropriate means for transport by investing in infrastructures. Multiple structures have been considered, including BOT similar to Taiwan High Speed Rail as a Public-private partnership(PPP) type investment.

External cost

The external cost of railway is lower than other modes of transport but the electrification brings down it even more, if it is sustainable.

This is specially due to railway safety relative to Road traffic safety, considering the Value of life. Also energy from well to wheel, and the necessity to reduce pollutions and greenhouse gas in earth according to the Kyoto Protocol. The new approach to manage the CO2 is carbon credit.

Electrification industries

IDRO Industrial Development and Renovation Organization of Iran as a developing organization is responsible to develop the industry sector and to accelerate the industrialization process of the country. It has become one of Iran' largest holding company/conglomerate (company) in recent years.

Iranian railway industry are either belonging to IDRO or private sector and the electrification industries among them are like: Tam (irankhodro), Sanam, Irantransfo.

Electrification consultants

Because of short history of railway electrification and suburb metro with 25KV there are not so many consultants for this in Iran, but some of them are as METRA, Imer, Moshanir, Harazrah, Iranoston, Azarakhsh rail Aria(Araco).

Electrification cost

The Electrification cost as part of railway prices and costs depends on the speed or the class of the track like Speed limits in the United States (rail). In 1984 the world bank's Railways and Energy report provided estimates of typical costs.

According to the book of Prices and Costs in the railway sector by Professor Baumgartner from Switzerland the rough estimation of traction substation cost is 0.2 million euro per megavolt amper and 0.2 million euro per km of line with 300 km/h and 0.15 for 100 km/h.

Import Tariff

Tariff of electrification equipment in Iran is 5% for locomotive and machineries.

Electrification Right-of-way

Right-of-way in railway in Iran is 35m but with electrification needs to be increased for higher speed and safety reasons.

Railway Electrification Education

For higher education, it is considered to have MS level in railway faculty in IRAN University of science and technology.

See also

• Islamic Republic of Iran Railways
• Matrai
• Trans-Iranian Railway
• Economic Cooperation Organization
• United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

Further reading

• Railway Electrification by A. Ghorbanalibeik, , Parak Publications, March 2007, 32 pp. ISBN 978-964-5703-96-5 (Persian)

PDF free download possible: [9]

also in raielec group in yahoo:[10]