Esfahan Steel Company Localizes High-Speed Train Rails

On the occasion of Research and Technology and Transport Week, the opening ceremony for the National Train set took place with the presence of Hossein Afshin, Vice President for Science and Technology, and Alireza Zakani, Mayor of Tehran, at the Wagon Manufacturing Company. During the ceremony, a contract for the mass production of the first prototype of the national metro train was signed between Tehran Metro Company and the Wagon Manufacturing Company for the production of 113 wagons. This morning, the mass production line for the national metro train was inaugurated.

In this opening ceremony, the Vice President for Science, Technology, and Knowledge-Based Economy, referring to rail production at Esfahan Steel Company, said: “The high-speed train rails have been localized thanks to Esfahan Steel Company, and the technology for high-speed trains is similar to metro technology. As soon as we initiate one part of the high-speed train project, the path will become smoother.”

Afshin began his speech by recalling his long-standing connection to this project, saying: “Two days after receiving my appointment as Vice President for Science on August 10, 2024, I attended a meeting focused on the national train. This meeting was unique and nostalgic for me because about 20 years ago, in 2006, I had become involved with this project.”

He continued: “At that time, Poloor Sabz Industrial Group had started the process of technology transfer, and the then-CEO of Poloor Sabz Wagon Manufacturing, Engineer Taheri, asked me to hold a training course in this field. As a result, I traveled weekly to Zarand to teach mechanical software. From those sessions, I assessed that we had the capacity and capability to localize the metro train body. I conveyed this to the CEO, and with determination, we achieved it.”

He added that the metro body was built in 2008, stating: “Subsequently, the University of Science and Technology stepped in for testing. I remember that for a month, the wagons were tested on the line with sandbags instead of passengers. At that time, Engineer Hashemi was the mayor, and had he remained in office for another year and a half, the national train project might have come to fruition then. It’s truly worth pondering why it took 20 years for such an event to materialize!”

The Vice President further emphasized: “Another concern I had in designing these wagons was incorporating Iranian elements into both the interior and exterior design because a national wagon must possess components of Iranian identity. People should feel comfortable and identify with it.”

Focusing on the financial resources for this project, he said: “The project has a funding requirement of $70 million, of which approximately $30 million has been secured, and the remainder is the responsibility of the municipality.”

He added that 40 knowledge-based companies have collaborated on this project, noting: “One key point to remember is that major projects foster technology development, and our next project in this field must be the high-speed train.”

In a press briefing, he stated: “We have reached a significant level of maturity in transportation. In rail transport, including 80-kilometer-per-hour trains and metro trains, 85% of the body and equipment have been truly localized. Many knowledge-based companies have been able to produce high-quality products at an international level.”

The Vice President continued: “I firmly believe that this success can extend to high-speed trains as well. If we officials enable the first high-speed train line in the country, soon all the lines in the country will be equipped with high-speed trains.”

According to him, “The most critical part of design involving complex equipment is knowing how to integrate various components. Otherwise, we have no issues with parts production. When it comes to automobiles, the most crucial factor in design is the platform. If we can design the platform, adding or modifying features becomes far less complex. Today, I am proud to say that we have achieved a real platform and design for the metro train. We hope to replicate this approach in other areas.”

It is worth mentioning that, in line with Article 54 of the Sixth Development Plan, the Tehran Municipality and Metro Company, with the support of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, began the national metro train design and production project about five years ago to localize the knowledge of designing and producing the equipment required for metro trains.

(By Maziyar Jafarieh)