BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 26. The Rasht-Astara railway in northern Iran, once built and commissioned within the framework of the North-South International Transport Corridor, will create conditions for shipping 70 million tons of cargo between Russia and India, Director General of the Iranian Railways Company's Foreign Trade Department Shahriyar Nagizadeh told local media, Trend reports.
According to him, in this regard, the Rasht-Astara railway is considered one of the most important projects in the country. This railway constitutes the western route of the North-South International Transport Corridor.
Nagizadeh said that for every one ton of cargo transported by rail over a distance of one kilometer, approximately 33 cubic meters of fuel is saved. At the same time, freight transportation by rail results in a significant removal of trucks from highways and a decrease in accidents.
"Last year, five million tons of cargo were transported by international railways through the country. Despite various problems since the beginning of the current Iranian year (March 21, 2025), 3.6 million tons of cargo have been transported by railways so far. This represents a 12 percent increase compared to the same period last year," he added.
The intergovernmental agreement signed on September 12, 2000, between Russia, Iran, and India laid the foundational framework for the North-South Transport Corridor. Since then, several countries have ratified the agreement, including Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, Russia, Tajikistan, Türkiye, and Ukraine. The primary objective of the corridor is to significantly reduce the delivery time for cargo traveling from India to Russia, as well as to Northern and Western Europe. While the existing route takes over six weeks, the North-South Corridor is expected to shorten this to just three weeks.
On March 6, 2019, the 175 km Gazvin-Rasht railway began operations, connecting Azerbaijan’s rail network with Iran’s infrastructure within the corridor. Additionally, the Rasht-Astara railway is set to be constructed on Iranian soil.
The North-South Corridor within Iran comprises three main routes. The eastern route connects to Turkmenistan and Central Asian countries; the central route links to Russia and other nations across the Caspian Sea; and the western route connects to Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, and Eastern Europe.
On May 17, 2023, Russia and Iran signed an agreement to build the Rasht-Astara railway in Gilan Province in northern Iran. This 163 km railway will feature nine stations and is expected to enhance the North-South Corridor’s efficiency. Upon completion, it will integrate Iran's railway network with those of the Caucasus, Russia, and Northern Europe. Under the terms of the agreement, Russia is committed to investing 1.6 billion euros in the construction of the railway, which is slated to be completed within 48 months.
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