Assessment of Railway Network Accessibility to National Mines for Optimal Freight Transport in GIS and Prioritization of Network Development

Subject Areas : Journal of Radar and Optical Remote Sensing and GIS

farhad sheidaei ¹ , samira bolouri ² , mehdi saati ³

1 -
2 -
3 -

Received: 2025-10-04 Accepted : 2025-11-19 Published : 2025-11-18

Keywords: Railway Network, AHP, Optimal Freight Transport, Mines, GIS, Sustainable Environmental Development ,

Abstract :

 The country’s railway network has undergone significant development over the years and continues to expand nationwide to facilitate efficient passenger and freight transport. Considering that the majority of railway revenue is generated from freight transport, this study aims to evaluate the expansion of the railway network for mine-related freight, identify critical areas for future network development to achieve optimal national coverage, and ultimately determine the priority of line development based on two criteria: mineral significance and distance from mines. 

 Accessibility of the railway network to mines was assessed within a GIS environment. For this purpose, the entire territory of Iran was divided into tessellations (hexagonal cells) of 2,000 km² each. The frequency and density of mines in each unit area were then determined. The results indicate that 390 cells contain at least one mine; in other words, 780,000 km² of the total 1,648,000 km² area of Iran host valuable mineral resources. Moreover, 49 cells, equivalent to 98,000 km², contain more than six mines. 

 Among these, the centroids of 11 cells are located more than 50 km from railway stations, and for 9 cells, this distance exceeds 100 km.  Furthermore, the prioritization of future line development, based on the two criteria of distance and mineral significance and using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) with equal weighting for both criteria, revealed that Gerdab, Saqeh, and Ezterari 16 are ranked as the top three priorities.

References:

Sabet, N ., Ehsani, A., & Mansouri, M. (2017). The impact of Rail Transportation on Energy Waste, Natural Resources & Environmental Pollution. The Third International Conference & Exhibition on Sustainable Development in Road Construction with an Environmental Protection Approach.
Kazemian, G., Rasouli, A., & Rafipour, S. The Advantages of Urban Rail Transportation Over Road Transportation, Based on a Sustainable Development Approach, a Case Study of Tehran Metro Line 4. Journal of Urban Research & Planning, 6(23), 77-94.
Kaymanesh, M., & Ghasemi Salehabadi, E. (2016). Engineering (Railway & Civil Engineers). Tehran: Noavar. 9-345-168-600-9.
Danesh Alaghehband, S. M. (2002). Requirements & Challenges of Rail Transport & Its Impact on Economic Growth of Countries. Publisher: Shamloo. 6001169977.
Law of the Seventh Five-Year Development Plan of the Islamic Republic of Iran (2024-2028).
Bolouri, S., Vafaienejad, A. (2015). Using Genetic Algorithms to Optimize the Multi-Criteria Allocation Location Problem in a GIS Environment, a Case Study (Fire Stations in District 11 of Tehran). Urban & Regional Studies & Research, 25,183-202. (Persian)
Bolouri, S., Vafaeinejad, A., Alesheikh, A., & Aghamohammadi, H. (2020). Investigating Multi-Purpose Allocation Status of the Fire Stations with Vector Assignment Ordered Median Problem Model in GIS Environment. Journal of Urban Stucture & Function, 7(22).
Wade, T., & Sommer, S. (2006). A to Z GIS: An Illustrated Dictionary of Geographic Information Systems. California, USA: ESRI, pp. 268.
Rahimdel, M.J., & Noferesti, H. (2020). Investment Preferences of Iran's Mineral Extraction Sector with a Focus on the Productivity of the Energy Consumption, Water & Labor Force. Resources Policy. ,67, 101695. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2020.101695.
Darvishdoost, T., Souri, M., & Rezaeinejad, I. (2022). Sustainable Development in the Mining Industry: Opportunities & Challenges in Iran's Mining Sector. Asian Journal of Economics, Finance & Management, 4(1): 587-596, 2022; Article no.AJEFM.1195.
Frederiksen T. (2019). Political Settlements, the Mining Industry & Corporate Social Responsibility in Developing Countries. The Extractive Industries & Society,6(1):162-170.
Kinnunen, P.H.M., & Kaksonen, AH. (2019). Towards Circular Economy in Mining: Opportunities & Bottlenecks for Tailings Valorization. Journal of Cleaner Production.,153-160.
Minerals Yearbook. U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2025. The Mineral Industry of Iran by Iman Salehi Hikouei.
Environmental Assessment Guidelines for Rail Transport Projects. (2007). ISBN: 7-14-2993-964-978. Ministry of Roads & Transport.
Nasiri Badri, Q., Ghalavand, A., & Ashrafizadeh, A. (2015). Economic-Environmental Comparison of Electricity Generation at Tale Zang Railway Station. The Eighth Specialized Scientific Conference on Renewable, Clean & Efficient Energies.
Sotoudeh, A., Darvish Sefat, A., & Makhdoom Farkhundeh, M. (2007). Using Environmental Principles in Railway Routing Using GIS Case Study: Rasht-Anzali Railway. Environment, 33(44), 65-72. https://sid.ir/paper/3048/fa.
Papi, A., Sayahnia, R., & Mobargaei Dinan, N. (2022). Improving the Performance of Environmental Impact Assessment Guidelines by Integrating the Ecosystem Services Approach (Case Study: Road & Railway Projects). Sustainable Development of Geographic Environment, 7, 142-57.
Fotohi, M. (2006). Investigating Methods for Reducing Adverse Effects in Railway Projects in the Biological Environment. Biennial National Conference of the Iranian Association of Environmental Specialists. https://sid.ir/paper/811710/fa.
Panchal, S., & Debbarma, A.. (2017). Rail-Route Planning Using a Geographical Information System (GIS). Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research, 7(5). DOI:10.48084/etasr.1329.
Sahaf, A., Gandahari, E., Farahati, E. Achieving an Optimal Suburban High-Speed Rail Route in GIS. The First National High-Speed Railway Conference in Iran. (2014)
Anjum, M., Tabassum, S., Alqubaysi, T., Hina Saleemi, H., Umbreen, S., Alanazi, F. (2024). Accessibility Enhancement of Mass Transit System Through GIS Based Modeling of Feeder Routes. Journal of Urban Management, 13(4), 755-771.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jum.2024.07.010.
https://amarfact.com/category/statistics/mimt/mines/. 2025.
Mohtadi, M., & Maleki, S. (2023). Environmental Impact Assessment of Tehran-Hamedan Railway Project Using ICOLD Matrix Method with Sustainable Development Approach. Road Quarterly Journal, 31(116), Page 103-116. DOI : 10.22034/road.2022.326039.2026..