Broadcast 1 March on Iranian state satellite TV (IRINN)

Announcer: The Torbat-e Heydariyeh-Khaf railroad, 148 kilometers in length, has gone into operation. It is the continuation of the Mashhad-Khaf line. With its operation it will be possible to haul ore.

We will talk with Mr. Mohammadizadeh, governor-general of the Province of Khorasan-e Razavi. Hello Mr. Mohammadizadeh.

Mohammadizadeh: Hello to you and your dear viewers.

Announcer: Mr. governor-general, tell us about the benefits of this railroad and what it will do for the economies of Iran and its neighbors.

Mohammadizadeh: Construction work began on this railroad in the year 2002. It is 148 kilometers long. It has eight stations and cost about 50 billion tomans, fortunately it went into operation today.

The primary objective in creating this line is to haul iron ore, with an annual load of about .52 million tons. The ore must be loaded converted to gondolas ultimately into various types of steel and iron beams in factories that exist in and out of the Province of Khorasan.

This divine blessing exists in abundance in the iron ore region of the Province of Khorasan, and must be transported by this railroad.

Another reason is the public use of the Torbat-e Heydariyeh - Khaf - Sangan route, using the facilities for transporting passengers and goods.

More important is that the vital artery for the economic development of our nation with the friend and brother nation of Afghanistan will travel by way of this very railroad.

About 6 months ago inside Afghanistan the ground was broken for the Afghanistan railroad by our president of the republic's first vice-president and today also the ground was broken for the line from Sangan to Harat inside Afghanistan.

The credits for ths project have been procured, and for the first time the culture of the railroad is coming into the friend and brother nation of Afghanistan and the nation of Afghanistan will have a train and a railroad.

It appears that the conditions that exist in Afghanistan in terms of reconstruction and the needed goods in the outside world, this railroad can be effective achieving economic development and the sociasl welfare of the people of Afghanistan.

It can therefore be said in short that this project has great importance for the iron ore of Khaf, for the use of the people in several cities along the route and especially for establishing a railroad for government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the people of Afghanistan. railroad for government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the people of Afghanistan.

Announcer: Thank you very much Mr. Mohammadizadeh. I wish you and your colleagues success. God be with you.

[splice]

Announcer: The Eastern Civilization Railroad opens today. The Khaf - Sangan - Harat Railway goes into operation in the presence of the minister of roads and transportation. To learn more details we will speak with Mr. Mohammadizadeh, governor-general of the Province of Khorasan-e Razavi Good morning Mr. Mohammadizadeh.

Good morning to you and I offer greeting to the great viewers of the News Network.

Announcer: Thank you. Mr. Mohammadizadeh, when did construction begin on this project, and what was the goal in creating the Eastern Civilization Railroad?

Mohammadizadeh: Construction on this project began in 2002 and pace accelerated in the last two years. The length of the line is 148 kilometers. It has eight large stations and about 50 billion tomans were spent on it.

Its importance first is that the people in the cities of Torbat-e Haydariyeh, Roshkhar, Khaf and Sangan will be able to use this railroad. The region's most important economic resource, meaning the iron ore from Sangan, which has a capacity of 1.2 billion tons and is one of the nation's great mineral reserves, can be carried by this railroad to the factories that will convert it to steel and iron.

On the other hand the most important thing is connecting the Islamic Republic of Iran railroad to the nation of Afghanistan. As you know, Afghanistan does not have a railroad and for the first time thanks to the government of the Islamic Republic a railroad will connect to this nation.

Fortunately about six months ago the task of laying rails began for the line between Sangan at our country's border to the city of Harat, the second largest city in Afghanistan. On the other hand the line goes into operation today as far as Sangan. We are hoping God willing that this event will be important for the economic development and for relations between the Islamic Republic and the dear brother nation of Afghanistan.

Announcer: God willing. How many kilometers long did you say the line would be?

Mohammadizadeh: The line that goes into operation today is 148 kilometers long, but the work is beginning on a line into Afghanistan with about 50 kilometers inside our country and about 150 kilometers inside Afghanistan. This year about 45 billion tomans have been allocated for the new line, and we are hoping that this task will be completed in the year 2007.

Announcer: Thank you very much Mr. Mohammadizadeh.

Mohammadizadeh: Thank you, good bye. [splice]

Announcer: Today the Khaf - Torbat-e Heydariyeh railroad went into operation. The Torbat-e Heydariyeh - Khaf line will eventually connect to Afghanistan and Europe.

This rail line was built in three years over a lenth of 123 kilometers at a cost of 20 billion tumans.

The opening of this line will make possible the transport of ores extracted from the Sangan mine near the municipality of Khaf to the southern parts of the country and to the Neyshabour and Mobarak steel plants.