The
Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (abbreviated
IRIR or sometimes
RAI) (
Persian: شركت راه آهن جمهوری اسلامی ایران) is the national state-owned
railway system of
Iran. The
Raja Passenger Train Company is an associate of the IR, and manages its passenger trains including international trains between
Tehran and
Istanbul and Tehran and
Damascus. The
Railway Transportation Company is an associate of the IR to manage its freight transport. The
Iranian Ministry of Roads and Transportation is the state agency that oversees the IRIR. Some 33 million tons of goods and 29 million passengers are transported annually by the rail transportation network, accounting for 9 percent and 11 percent of the whole transportations in Iran (2011).