BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 29. Work related to
the Rasht-Astara railway line within the framework of the
International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) remains under
constant attention, Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development,
Farzaneh Sadegh, told reporters, Trend reports.


According to her, the Rasht-Astara section is the only missing
railway segment on Iranian territory within the INSTC. Sadegh noted
that the process of government land acquisition along the planned
route is ongoing, with ownership secured for 110 kilometers so far,
and the process is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
She added that Iran intends to complete construction of the railway
within the next 3 years using a Russian credit facility.


“The North–South International Transport Corridor will extend
from India to Bandar Abbas in southern Iran and from there, via the
Rasht–Astara railway line, to Azerbaijan, Russia, and Finland.
Considering its strategic and geographical position, neighboring
countries are a natural choice for Iran to expand transport
cooperation within the North–South and East–West corridors,” Sadegh
said.


The foundation of the International North-South Transport
Corridor was established through an intergovernmental agreement
signed by Russia, Iran, and India on September 12, 2000. To date,
13 countries, including Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Russia, and
Turkey, have ratified the agreement. The primary goal of the
corridor is to reduce the delivery time of cargo between India and
Russia, as well as to Northern and Western Europe. Currently, the
transport route takes over six weeks, but it is anticipated that
this time will be significantly reduced to just three weeks once
the corridor is operational.


The Qazvin-Rasht railroad (175 km) was put into operation on
March 6, 2019, to connect Azerbaijan's railroads with Iran's
railway network within the corridor. The Rasht-Astara railroad is
to be built on Iranian territory.







The North-South Corridor has three directions within Iran. The
eastern direction is Turkmenistan and Central Asian countries; the
middle direction is Russia and other countries across the Caspian
Sea; and the western direction is Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, and
Eastern European countries.


Meanwhile, Russia and Iran signed an agreement on May 17, 2023,
to build the Rasht-Astara railroad in Gilan province in northern
Iran. Nine stations will be built on the Rasht-Astara railroad
line, which is about 163 kilometers long. With the completion of
this railroad, the North-South international corridor will be
improved, and Iran's railroad network will be integrated with the
Caucasus countries, Russia, and Northern European countries.
According to the agreement, the Russian side is expected to spend
1.6 billion euros for the construction of this railroad. This
railroad will be built and completed within 48 months.


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