Trade Arabia - Iran will sign an agreement for buying and building 6,000 freight wagons during the upcoming Iran Rail Expo in Tehran, said the deputy head of Iran Railways Company.

�Based on the agreement, 4,900 freight wagons will be built by three local companies with a 100-per cent foreign fund plus a �250-million ($273,000) Russian investment,� Babak Ahmadi was quoted as saying by Irna.

�1,100 wagons will also be imported to Iran,� he added, stressing that no import would be allowed in until the launch of manufacturing line of the three Iranian companies for semi-wagons.

Noting that the 5th Iran Rail Expo will be held on May 15-18, he said that the event would be the world's second largest exhibition during which 160 local and 130 foreign companies from 16 countries, including Italy, Spain, China, France, Germany and Turkey will put their products on display.

Pointing to Iran's need of 8,000 freight wagons plus 4,000 passenger wagons in 1402 (2023) Iran Vision Plan, he said that the country had also to buy 1,000 locomotives by the year.