BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 22. The Naqadeh border terminal in Iran’s West Azerbaijan Province could play a significant role in the International North South Transport Corridor, said Reza Rahmani, the Governor of West Azerbaijan Province (Urmia), Trend reports.
Speaking at a press briefing in Mahabad, Rahmani stated that the new railway projects in the province will extend to the borders with Türkiye and Iraq’s Kurdistan Region.
One project under development would link Urmia with Salmas, connecting further to the Bazargan customs crossing and Türkiye once completed. Licensing procedures for the project are currently underway.
The governor noted that Naqadeh already has a station along the Maragheh–Urmia railway line, and plans envision extending it toward Piranshahr, the Tamarchin border crossing, and into Iraq’s Kurdistan Region. Naqadeh station will be introduced as a special export terminal, built with private sector investment, and is expected to become operational within the next two years.
Rahmani stressed that the terminal will hold particular importance within the framework of the North-South Corridor. Due to its proximity to the Tamarchin crossing, it could reduce export costs and strengthen the province’s role in regional trade.
The foundation for the North-South transport corridor was laid based on an intergovernmental agreement between Russia, Iran, and India dated September 12, 2000. In total, this agreement has been ratified by several countries (the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Bulgaria, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Sultanate of Oman, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, the Republic of Turkey, and Ukraine). The purpose of creating the corridor is to reduce the delivery time of goods from India to Russia, as well as to Northern and Western Europe (the delivery time along the current route is more than 6 weeks, while the North-South route is expected to take 3 weeks).
As part of the corridor, the Qazvin-Rasht railway (175 km) was put into operation on March 6, 2019, connecting the Azerbaijani railways with the Iranian railway network. The Rasht-Astara railway is to be built on Iranian territory.
The North-South Corridor has three directions in Iran. The eastern direction is Turkmenistan and Central Asian countries, the middle direction is Russia and other countries via the Caspian Sea, and the western direction is Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, and Eastern European countries.
On May 17, 2023, Russia and Iran signed an agreement on the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway in the province of Gilan, located in northern Iran. Nine stations will be built on the Rasht-Astara railway line, which will be about 163 km long. The completion of this railway will improve the North-South international corridor and connect Iran's railway network with the Caucasus, Russia, and Northern Europe. According to the agreement, Russia is expected to allocate €1.6 billion for the construction of this railway. The construction and completion of the railway is planned within 48 months.
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