BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 18. Iran, Azerbaijan, and Russia will cooperate in the construction of the Rasht-Astara railroad, located in the north of Iran, within the framework of the international North-South transport corridor, the Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh told reporters following the Third Economic Forum of the Caspian Sea littoral states in Tehran today (February 18), Trend reports.
According to her, several agreements have been reached regarding the construction of the Rasht-Astara railroad and new steps are being taken towards the construction of the railroad.
The Iranian minister noted that detailed information in this regard will be presented soon.
Sadegh added that several issues on railroads and road corridors were discussed at the 3rd Economic Forum and consultations were held on the agreements reached between the Caspian littoral countries.
The intergovernmental agreement signed between Russia, Iran, and India on September 12, 2000, laid the foundation for the North-South Transport Corridor. In general, several countries have ratified the said agreement. (Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Belarus, Republic of Bulgaria, India, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kyrgyzstan, Sultanate of Oman, Russian Federation, Republic of Tajikistan, Republic of Türkiye, Ukraine). The purpose of establishing the corridor is to reduce the delivery time of cargo traveling from India to Russia, as well as to Northern and Western Europe (the delivery time along the existing route is more than six weeks; it is expected to be three weeks via North-South).
The Gazvin-Rasht railroad, stretching 175 km, hit the ground running on March 6, 2019, linking Azerbaijan's railroads with Iran's railway network in the corridor. The Rasht-Astara railroad is set to take shape on Iranian soil.
The North-South Corridor has three directions in Iran. East direction- Turkmenistan and Central Asian countries, Middle direction and other countries across the Caspian Sea, West direction-Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, and Eastern European countries.
On May 17, 2023, an agreement was signed between Russia and Iran on the construction of the Rasht-Astara railroad in Gilan province in northern Iran. Nine stations will be built on the Resht-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.