Iranian Railways: trains on the China to Iran corridor rose from one a year to 60, but most cargo still travels without an official Iranian bill of lading

Shahriar Naghizadeh, director general for foreign trade at the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, told the 17th meeting of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce transport commission on Saturday, 1 August 2026 (10 Mordad 1405), that trains arriving from China mostly do not enter the country under an official Iranian bill of lading, which limits the railway's ability to manage the route. He said several unaffiliated companies move consignments to the border each day, causing congestion on the rail lines and disrupting customs clearance.

Naghizadeh said the number of trains running on the route has risen from an average of one a year over the past decade to 60 last year, with freight volumes passing 200,000 tonnes. He also reported the removal of an 80 dollar transhipment fee in Turkmenistan and an increase in train acceptance capacity from one to four trains a day. Despite congestion of about 50 trains at the China and Kazakhstan borders and journey times stretching to 35 days, he said the transit route has been maintained.

At the same meeting Gholamhossein Valadi, director general of Tehran Railways, reported 182 percent growth in rail transit at the Aprin dry port and an increase in its freight volume from 83,000 tonnes to 200,000 tonnes.