BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 16. Iran plans to complete construction of the Rasht-Astara railway line in the country’s north within a maximum period of four years as part of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), said Amin Taraffo, head of the International Affairs Center at Iran’s Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, Trend reports.
Speaking today at a press conference held during the 9th Transport, Logistics, and Related Services Exhibition in Tehran, Taraffo noted that the process of purchasing property along the route of the Rasht-Astara railway line is currently ongoing.
"So far, ownership of more than 100 kilometers of land has been acquired, and this process will be completed by the end of the current Iranian year (March 20, 2026)," he said.
Taraffo added that Iran and Russia are finalizing the details of the contract for the construction of the railway line. The agreement is expected to be signed within the next two months. This will allow construction to begin on the Rasht-Astara railway, which is considered the missing rail segment within the INSTC.
The ministry official also stated that since a loan worth 1.6 billion euros for the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway will be provided by Russia, the contractor company will also be Russian.
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.
Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel