MNA� The director general of Esfahan Steel Company (ESCO) said Mon. that the first domestically-constructed rail tracks have been handed over to Iran's Railways, saying the rails are on par with the latest global standards.

According to the Public Relations Department of the Esfahan Steel Company (ESCO), the first consignment of domestically-produced railway tracks was unveiled in the presence of the officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways as well as Esfahan Steel Company (ESCO) officials on Friday.

The rail tracks are manufactured by the ESCO and the first consignment of them were delivered to the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways on Sunday.

The consignment contained 500 tons of U33 rail tracks which are produced according to the latest global standards including engineering standards EN13674.

A French railroad company has been observing the whole process of the production and tested the quality of the rails.

The director general of Esfahan Railways organization Seyed Reza Sadat Hosseini said that the first delivery is promising news that Iran can meet its domestic needs in the near future.

Sadat Hosseini added that according to the country�s 6th Five-Year National Socio-Economic Development Plan, the nationwide railway network should reach 25,000 kilometers, and each 10km requires 500 tons of rail tracks, which indicates Iran's need for a high volume of rail tracks.

Also in this regard, the director general of the ESCO Mansoor Yazdizadeh said that the rail tracks which are produced under the foreign sanctions on Iran�s economy would be of great help to the country�s railway network.

Yazdizadeh said that the domestically-produced rails are of high quality, adding that they are making preparations for producing other kinds of rails such as UIC60.

The ESCO director general added that the company has the capability to manufacture a capacity of 400 tons of rails that can meet annual domestic needs and the extra amount could be exported.