In an interview with IRNA, he said the plan to construct a railway line linking Iran, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan was approved by the presidents of the three countries and relevant agreement was concluded.

President Gurbanguly Berdimukhamadov of Turkmenistan inaugurated operations to construct the railway line linking Iran, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan in Berekat, a Turkmen city bordering Iran’s Golestan province on Saturday.

Rahmati noted that the present Sarakhs-Tajan-Mashhad railway line connects to the east of Russia via Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan which is relatively long.

He added that since Uzbekistan has been left out of the new plan, the railway line has become much shorter. Rahmati said that the new railway line will be constructed with better technical specifications, adding Turkmenistan is due to lay 700 kms of the railway lines in four years. He stated that Ashkhabad has invited Iranian contractors to implement the project.

"Iran-Kazakh-Turkmen railway line will help reduce the cost price of commodities and the time needed to transport them," he stated.

Rahmati noted that Gorgan-Tehran railway line can be connected to the new line to transport goods and raw material, adding if necessary new railway lines would be built and linked to other routes of the country , including the Gorgan-Sari-Shahroud line.

He noted that feasibility studies on establishing Gorgan-Mashhad railway line have been completed and executive operations will certainly be undertaken.

The official noted that the new railway would bring in about 50 to 60 million dollars as transit revenue for Iran per annum.

Rahmati further said that the proposal on the construction of 200-250 km of main roads in Turkmenistan was presented to the country’s officials. He added that Iranian contractors would be introduced to Turkmen side for the project.