First 'Silk Road' train arrives in Tehran from China

[WhiteTara]

http://news.yahoo.com/first-silk-road-train-arrives-tehran-china-134703954.html

The first train to connect China and Iran arrived in Tehran on Monday loaded with Chinese goods, reviving the ancient Silk Road, the Iranian railway company said.

The train, carrying 32 containers of commercial products from eastern Zhejiang province, took 14 days to make the 9,500-kilometre (5,900-mile) journey through Kazakstan and Turkmenistan.

"The arrival of this train in less than 14 days is unprecedented," said the head of the Iranian railway company, Mohsen Pourseyed Aqayi.

"The revival of the Silk Road is crucial for the countries on its route," he said at a ceremony at Tehran's rail station attended by the ambassadors of China and Turkmenistan.

The journey was 30 days shorter than the sea voyage from Shanghai to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, according to Aqayi.

The railway will not stop in Tehran "as we are planning to extend the railway to Europe in future," generating more income for Iran from passing trains, he added.

[BlueMTexpat]

1. Neat!

Thanks for the OP!

[MADem]

2. When I lived in Iran, Chinese products were a staple in the groceries.

They were cheaper than US or UK items.

[LittleBlue]

3. I wonder how this compares to shipping on container ships

Is it more cost-efficient than water travel?

Passenger travel over the Silk Road would be one of those epic experiences. I'd love to do it when it connects to western Europe. Not sure how practical that would be with all the visas we'd need.

[WhiteTara]

6. Train travel would be epic on the Silk Road. nt

[dembotoz]

4. gop threatens war and china sells them all kinds of stuff

which do you think works better?

[WhiteTara]

5. It's the difference between

guns and butter. We used to be in favor of butter...my how times have changed