BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 26. The rail cargo transport between Iran and Azerbaijan increased by 28 percent in the first 11 months of the current Iranian year (March 21, 2023 through February 19, 2024), compared to the same period last year, Director General of Iran's Northern Railway Department Gholam Hossein Valadi said, Trend reports.
Valadi said that about 645,000 tons of cargo were moved between the two countries via the Astara railway in 11 months. This railway connects Iran and Azerbaijan and facilitates the trade and transit between them.
In the corresponding period of last Iranian year, the Astara railway carried around 502,000 tons of cargo between the two countries in the same period, he added.
The director general also said that Iran imported more than 206,000 tons of cargo through the Astara railway in 11 months, which is 58 percent higher than the same period last year (over 130,000). The main imports were grain, cotton and other products.
Moreover, he said that Iran exported more than 167,000 tons of products to Astara in 11 months. The main exports were citrus fruits, cement, chemicals, foodstuffs and so on.
Valadi further said that about 270,000 tons of products were transited through the Astara railway in 11 months. The main transit products were flour, millet, barley, wheat, chemicals and others.
Despite the ongoing construction of the Astara terminal, several parts of the terminal have already been ready for operation, and since the beginning of 2018, transshipment operations have been carried out there.
Currently, Iran has 2,793 km of controlled-access highways, 45,170 km of highways and freeways, and 14,984 km of railway lines. There are 978 locomotives, 29,305 freight wagons, and 2,153 passenger wagons operating on Iran’s railways.
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