BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 26. The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) promises significant freight opportunities for countries in the region, Jabbar Ali Zakeri, the Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development of Iran and Executive Director of Iran Railways (RAI), said in an exclusive interview with Trend.
Zakeri explained that Iran is currently on the fast track with six railway routes linking it to the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Key terminals include Sarakhs, Lotfabad, and Incheborun in the east; Amirabad and Caspian ports on the Caspian Sea; and Astara in the west. In addition, the railway connecting Julfa in western Iran to Nakhchivan should be considered part of this network.
He noted that significant steps have been taken over the past 2-3 years to strengthen railway cooperation with CIS member countries.
“Under the programs presented at the 83rd meeting of the CIS Railway Transport Council in Baku, we plan to expand railway collaboration and freight transportation over the next 3-4 years. To date, rail freight between Iran and CIS countries has reached 5 million tons, and we anticipate this figure could grow to 15 million tons. The document signed at today’s meeting alone envisions boosting shipments via Astara by 2 million tons annually,” he said.
The deputy minister added that Iran plans to increase the cargo transported from Russia to Iran by rail to 5 million tons per year as part of these efforts. According to Zakeri, the programs being implemented to develop railway infrastructure are designed to support this increase in freight transport.
“It is encouraging that Azerbaijan is also taking steps to develop its domestic railway infrastructure. This will naturally contribute to the growth of rail freight,” he noted.
Zakeri highlighted that the Rasht-Astara stretch of the western route of the INSTC is currently missing a railway line. About 95 percent of the land required for this railway in Gilan Province has already been acquired, with an average of 3 kilometers being purchased each week. Iran expects to complete land acquisition by March 20, 2026. A Russian company is conducting studies related to railway construction on the acquired land, and construction is expected to begin thereafter. These efforts are part of the overall plan to connect the railway and complete the North–South Corridor.
“Until this railway is completed, cargo will continue to be transported using a train–truck–train system from the Astara terminal to Rasht. An agreement memorandum has been signed between Iran, Azerbaijan, and Russia to increase shipments in this format, which is expected to reach 5 million tons soon,” Zakeri concluded.
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