TEHRAN – A commercial rail route connecting China to Iran was formally brought into operation after the first Chinese cargo train unloaded in a dry port near Tehran.
The cargo train carrying a shipment from China’s eastern city of Xi’an has arrived in Iran and unloaded its cargo at the Aprin dry port near Tehran.  
The CEO of Aprin, known as the largest station of cargo trains in Iran, said the dry port plays a significant role in Iran’s export strategies by reducing transportation costs and obviating the need for freight services at coastal storage depots.
Homayoun Jahani noted that commercial rail transit between Iran and China has gotten underway as the Chinese train unloaded its cargo in the Iranian dry port.
Officials from the national railways of Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Turkey held a meeting in Tehran on May 12 to discuss a rail network connecting the six countries to Europe.
The officials of the six nations agreed on competitive tariffs and key parameters to organize rail services.