Companies have been invited to prequalify for a contract to finance and build a rail project in Iran.

Iran’s Ministry of Road and Transportation (Mort), in partnership with the Construction & Development of Transportation Infrastructure Company (CDTIC) has invited companies to submit prequalification entries by 1 May for the contract to carry out engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) of the Gorgan to Gonbad railway project.

The construction project will involve providing substructure, superstructure and rolling stock, as well as communications and signalling works.

The rail programme is a key aspect of Iran’s plans to upgrade its transport infrastructure. In 2010, Iran’s railway system carried a total of 19.5 million passengers. Tehran is looking to increase this to 82 million passengers by 2015. The existing 9,000 kilometres of railway is expected to be extended to 25,000km by 2015

In July 2011, the local Railway Services & Technical Construction Engineering Company (RSTC) was awarded a contract to build a 580km railway line from Shiraz to Bandar Abbas in the south of the country.