BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 5. The construction of the Chabahar-Zahedan railway line in southeastern Iran will be completed within the next six months as part of the North-South International Transport Corridor, Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development, CEO of Iran's Railways Company Jabbar Ali Zakeri said in a meeting with Indian Ambassador Rudra Gaurav Shresth, Trend reports.
According to him, the development of the North-South International Transport Corridor is one of the main priorities of the Iranian Railways Company. Iran is crossing its fingers that the ball will start rolling faster with the close cooperation of the member countries.
“Iran’s goal is to simplify the process of transporting trade cargo between India and Russia via Iran. The development of Chabahar can play an effective role in the development of the North-South International Transport Corridor and increase Iran’s share in regional transit. Iran is striving to quickly create the necessary infrastructure for the realization of this goal,” he noted.
Zakeri also said that the cargo transportation between India’s Mumbai and Chabahar ports and the subsequent joint cooperation between Russia and India and the transportation of cargo by rail can significantly increase the cargo transit in the North-South International Transport Corridor.
The deputy minister laid it on the line that Chabahar port can't hit the ground running without the railway in the mix.
In this regard, the construction of the Chabahar-Zahedan railway will be completed in the next six months, and this railway will be ready for operation in the next three months.
The company official pointed out that the Chabahar port and railway are important in establishing a railway connection between Afghanistan and India.
This direction will significantly reduce the time and distance of cargo transportation between India and Afghanistan.
At the meeting, the ambassador also expressed satisfaction with the development of railway cooperation between India and Iran and welcomed the effective role of the Iranian Railways Company in the development of regional transit.
The total length of the Chabahar-Zahedan railway is approximately 634 kilometers, and the construction of the railway began in 2010. The construction of this railway was accelerated in 2014 with the change of the contractor company.
The North-South International Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a multimodal network with maritime, rail, and roadway connections linking Northern Europe and Russia to the Persian Gulf, Central Asia, and the Indian Ocean. It seeks to offer a more expedient and cost-effective alternative to conventional shipping lines, decreasing transit durations from 45-60 days to 20-25 days for specific routes. The initiative encompasses nations such as Russia, Iran, India, and Azerbaijan, aiming primarily to enhance trade ties.
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