The first ever train to connect China and Iran arrived in Tehran on Monday, reviving the ancient Silk Road, according to the Iranian railway company. The train aims to make transportation between Shanghai and Iran shorter.

The train was carrying 32 containers of commercial products from eastern Zhejiang province. It reportedly took 14 days to make the 9,500-kilometre (5,900-mile) travel through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

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According to the head of Iranian railway company, Mohsen Pourseyed Aqayi, the arrival of the train in less than 14 days is remarkable. He noted that the revival of the Silk Road is critical for all countries that are part of the route. His statement came at a ceremony attended by the ambassadors of China and Turkmenistan in Tehran railway station on Feb. 15.

Taking the route by train will be 30 days shorter compared to travelling by sea from Shanghai to the Iranian port of the Bandar Abbas, said Aqayi.

There are plans to extend the railway to Europe in the future.

This initiative is expected to generate more income for Iran. Aqayi added that the frequency of trips may be increased if necessary. But for now, the train will leave every month.

Iranian railway company spokesman Sadegh Sakari told AFP that the train is managed by private companies using existing routes.

China is the top customer of Tehran's exports, accounting for more than a third of Iran's foreign trade.

Just last month, China and Iran vowed to strenghten their economic ties as Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. In the next ten years, the two countries will engage in trade worth up to $600 billion.

This agreement was made during Xi's visit to Iran on Jan. 23, the first visit made by a Chinese president in 14 years to the Middle East nation. This visit was made just days after sanctions against Tehran were lifted.

President Xi hopes to revive the Silk Road trade routes with his foreign trade initiative known as "One Belt, One Road". The Silk Road is an ancient a group of commercial land and sea routes that played an essential part in business across Asia and the Mediterranean. 

TagsSilk Road, Silk Road trade, China Silk Road Economic Belt, Mohsen Pourseyed Aqayi, Zhejiang, Kazakhstan, turkmenistan, Xi Jinping, Hassan Rouhani, China-Iran ties, China-Iran Railway Line, One Belt, One Road