BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 4. Iran has decided to allocate 3 trillion rials (about $5.23 million) for the completion of a railway line connecting Ardabil in the northwest to Miyaneh in East Azerbaijan Province, Farhad Sobhani, the province’s Deputy Governor, told reporters, Trend reports.
Sobhani noted that the 175-kilometer railway project began 19 years ago and is now 91.9 percent complete, based on a report from Iran's Transport Infrastructure Construction and Development Company.
Sobhani stated that the completion and launch of this railway will require a total of 30 trillion rials (about $52.3 million). Such a large-scale project cannot be completed within just two to three months. He further mentioned that in the upcoming Iranian fiscal year (from March 21, 2025 through March 20, 2026), Iran's Planning and Budget Organization is expected to allocate 15 trillion rials (about $26.2 million) for the continuation of the project. Additionally, around 500 billion rials (about $872,000) will be provided by the Ardabil Provincial Government.
Sobhani explained that nearly ten trillion rials (about $17.4 million) of this amount would be used to pay off debts to the contracting company. The remaining 20 trillion rials (about $35 million) will fund the completion of the railway's construction.
Regarding the current progress, Sobhani mentioned that 95.8 percent of the infrastructure work is finished, 77.4 percent of the track laying is done, and 82.4 percent of the railway station construction has been completed.
The construction of the railroad line between the Iranian cities of Ardabil and Miyaneh began in 2005. This 175-kilometer-long railroad is being built in 11 sections. As much as 35 percent of the railroad line passes through mountainous terrain. Once this railway line is operational, it is projected that 2.5 million tons of cargo and 600,000 passengers will be transported during the first year. It is also predicted that in 20 years this railroad will be able to transport 4 million tons of cargo and 1.5 million passengers annually.
Iran considers the completion of this railway as significant for its economic and transit development.