Railway electrification in Iran

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	Speed., Km/h	mast D., m	stagger len., m	pant. w., m	mast C., m	Height., m	Block l., m	Wire mm^2	Tens., Kn	Reg. brk.
1	Iran	1976	kampsax	standard		25	10-15		160	70	0.4	1.9	3.0	5-6	1500	107	10-12
1	Iran	1985	Tabriz	Jolfa	146	25	15	70	100	50			3	5.2	1200	100	1500	0
2	Iran	1997	Tehran	Karaj	35	2^25	63	60	140	55			3.2	5.2	1200	120	1500	1
3	Iran	2010	Tabriz	Azarshahr	46	25	15		140	55			3.2	5.2	1200	100	1500
4	Iran	2012	Tehran	Mashhad	926	2^25	50	90	250	68			3.5	6.2	1300	120	2000	1
4	Iran	2014	Tehran	Tabriz	630	2^25	25	90	250	68			3.5	6.2	1300	120	2000	1

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

Recently another contract was signed with the Russian railway RZD in February 2009[2] to connect the Tabriz electric line to Azarshahr to the south with a length of 46 km single track with 140 km/h speed that was inaugurated in 2012 Oct. 13th.[3]

Continuing the line to Bonab and Maragheh and possibly to Urmia through the Shahid Kalantary bridge is planned. The bridge has the rail track integrated, like Oresund Bridge. The existing electric line could be connected to Oroumieh and Maragheh.

Also Shabestar and Salmas, relying on existing facilities and locomotives will be electrified. On the northern route it is planned to connect Soofian to Shabestar and Salmas.

A tender[4] 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 like Talgo.

Electric trains will reduce the existing journey time from 12 hours down to 6 hours and Multiple Train Units (EMUs) from existing 8 hours to less than 5 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. A ceremonial construction start for the Tehran-Mashhad electrification took place on 1 February 2012. The completion is expected in 2014.[5]

It is planned to expand electrification to the northwest up to the existing line at Tabriz (with 200 km/h speed for passenger trains and 250 for tilting EMU or trains like Railjet) 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 to make it more economic and also to prepare the new under construction includes straightening the route from Tabriz to Mianeh that will decrease the distance from Tehran to Tabriz about 100 km and for this stepwise plan dual mode or Electro-diesel locomotive could help justifying the project.

Recent inauguration of a 4 track 'cut and cover' 9 km railway line in Tehran west railway to Tabriz has made the project more feasible.

In the beginning of 2012 a 5-member consortium was formed and proposed to do the project as BOT base.

The locomotives in Tabriz-Jolfa has been built by ASEA based on Sweden type RC4 from SJ Rc family with 3600 KW and 100 km/h. Eight units are in operation.

The locomotives in Tehran-Karaj metro is TM1, TM2, TM3 similar to SS8 with 3200 KW and 140 km/h from Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Works, China, counting for 56 units.

Passenger locomotives (type Bo′Bo′ according to UIC classification of locomotive axle arrangements) shall provide a continuous tractive effort of more than 240 kN, freight locomotives (Co′Co′) more than 480 kN and all weather adhesion shall be at least 33%. Passenger locomotives shall be equipped to provide head end power (HEP) to the train.

The locomotive prototype shall be available 6 months before inauguration to allow for the homologation phase. A mockup and pilot experiment for EMUs could be used to expedite the accepting process.

One of the major bottleneck to start operation of an electrified line in countries like Iran with rare electric track is to use the concept of a Common platform locomotive like TRAXX[6] from Bombardier that makes the supply phase faster and more cost effective. This capability has been considered in Iranian Railways AD43C that is originally diesel electric but can be converted to electric locomotive. This capability has not been considered in IranRunner.

Another solution is using dual mode locomotives for stepwise electrification. Electro-diesel locomotive

The locomotive test and approval, homologation would be done according to RAI, UIC, AAR, TTCI Transportation Technology Center[7] and like SNCF Class BB 75000.

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

Parallel to the dynamic and flexible policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding socio-economic development plan, Comprehensive Transportation Studies of Iran 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.[9]

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[11] similar to Taiwan High Speed Rail as a Public-private partnership(PPP) type investment. as well as high speed trains investment to buy AGV by Italian company Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori(NTV).

Transit-oriented development(TOD) is also an approach that could be used mainly from urban areas in railway stations.

Pacific Railroad Acts is a good benchmark for encouraging private sector for investment in railway network expansion programs.

Electrification causes increased capacity of railway so the Railway station layout changes accordingly. some of Railway stations in Iran are suitable for electrification, specially those that have been constructed after the Islamic revolution.

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.[12] 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.

One of the results of electrification is Clean Development Mechanism, for carbon dioxide reduction. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is one of the flexibility mechanisms defined in the Kyoto Protocol

Transit Oriented Development or TOD is one of major concepts that has been considered to promote the presence of railway, Metro and other modes of city transport in through increasing the interaction of transit by hoteling, marketing, services, housing.

Some of main UIC standards in railway electrification are:

UIC 791-1, Maintenance guidelines for overhead contact lines

UIC 799, Characteristics of a.c. overhead contact systems for high-speed lines worked at speeds of over 200 km/h

And European union codes like:

En-50119, Cenelec standard Railway Electric Traction Contact-Lines

EN 15227 about the Crashworthiness requirements for railway vehicle bodies

IEC 61133- Rules for testing of electric locomotive

The first electrification standard for Iran was prepared by Kampsax(COWI) in 1977 as part of a general standard.

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 the largest Iranian 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.

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

Some of suitable railway map sources with infrastructure and speed classification as well as topographic contours are given different sources.[13][14][15]

The Electrification cost as part of railway prices and costs[16] 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.[17]

According to the book of Prices and Costs in the railway sector by Professor Baumgartner from Switzerland[18] 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.[19]

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

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

For higher education, it is considered to have MS level in railway faculty in IRAN University of science and technology.[20]