Reuters has fotos of derailment in Iran 23 Jan 2010

i never even knew iran had passenger trains

AdamRouse wrote:i never even knew iran had passenger trains

I suggest you read Paul Theroux - The Great Railway Bazaar.

Iran has many of the features of a modern society. There is a modern metro line in Tehran and a network of passenger trains to all the main cities. See also the thread in this forum on Zahedan - announcing that there is now a continuous rail line from Pakistan to Europe (except for two train ferries).
http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 49&t=66994
and see
http://www.angelfire.com/mac/egmatthews ... /iran.html
Try also this site:
http://www.seat61.com/Iran.htm

BSB: That looks like a French RTG01 Turbo Train - similar to those Amtrak used in the Midwest in the 70s...
MACTRAXX

MACTRAXX wrote:BSB: That looks like a French RTG01 Turbo Train - similar to those Amtrak used in the Midwest in the 70s...
MACTRAXX

I would say that is an ordinary train for poor people, not a higher class Express.

The carriages seem rather old, possibly of French origin. It wouldn't surprise me if the loco is also French. The French have supplied equipment in the Middle East. I have seen modern French trains in Saudi.

The picture of the loco suggests it might have come off the rails on points (switches in US English).