Mashhad is home to the holy shrine of Imam Reza (PUBH), the eighth Shia Imam. It is the second most populous city in Iran. The metropolis annually hosts around 25 million tourists and pilgrims, which add to its demographic load. The speed at which the city’s population is growing far exceeds the speed of public transport development.
According to Director General of Khorasan Railways Directorate Mohammad-Hadi Ziaei-Mehr, 26,860 foreign passengers travelled to Mashhad by train during the period, most of whom were from Iraq, Pakistan, Lebanon, India, Afghanistan and Persian Gulf states.
About 3.21 million passengers were transported through Khorasan Razavi railroadys in Q1, which is up 22% year-on-year, according to Financial Tribune.
Last year (ended March 20, 2018), some 24.5 million passengers were transported via railroads in Iran, half of whom traveled through Khorasan Razavi routes.
There are 12,500 kilometers of railroads in Iran, 1,500 kilometers of which [or 12%] are located in Khorasan Razavi Province.