TEHRAN, Aug. 9 (Mehr News Agency) – Austrians are to assist Iran with construction of Gorgan-Mashhad high-speed rail and the final form of the proposal will be put on Roads and Transportation Ministry's desk by September 22, 2006, the Persian service of ILNA news agency reported here on Wednesday.

Transfer of technology and construction of a rail to handle trains with 200 km/h are part of plans for this northeastern route, Hamid Behbahani, the deputy minister for planning and economic affairs said.

Behbahani, who made the statement in a meeting with an Austrian railroad delegation, added an international consortium of Iranian and Austrian firms could pave the way for more projects of the kind.

The two countries are also studying the feasibility of Qom-Isfahan high-speed rail at 270 km/h and over.