BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 26. Iran is set to launch the Chabahar-Zahedan railway line, which connects the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan to the strategic port of Chabahar, in the next Iranian year (March 20, 2024 to March 20, 2025), Minister of Roads and Urban Development of Iran Mehrdad Bazrpash said, Trend reports.
He made the remark at an event on December 26, where he also inaugurated parts of two highways in the same province.
Bazrpash said that the 628-kilometer railway line is nearing completion, thanks to the joint efforts of Iran’s Road and Urban Development Ministry, Sistan and Baluchistan Governorates, and Khatam-al Anbiya Construction Headquarters.
He added that the construction of the railway line has been adequately funded and that the tunnel works have been finished, and the rail laying for 200 km will begin soon.
The Iranian minister highlighted that the Chabahar port will become much more valuable after the Chabahar-Zahedan railway line is operational. He said that foreign investors have been invited to invest in the port of Chabahar and that contracts with them are expected to be signed soon. He also mentioned that various local groups have shown interest in investing in Chabahar port.
Construction of the 720-kilometer Chabahar-Zahedan railway began in 2010. In 2014, the construction of this railway was accelerated by changing the contractor. So far, 17 trillion rials (about $404 million) have been spent on the construction of this railway, and it is estimated that 40 trillion rials (about $952 million) will be required to complete the project.
In addition, about 300 million euros have been allocated by the National Development Fund of Iran for the construction of the Chabahar-Zahedan railway.
The speed of passenger trains on this railway line will be 160 km/h, while freight trains will be 120 km/h. In the first year of its operation, 927,000 passengers and 2.8 million tons of cargo are expected to be transported through the railway line. Meanwhile, in the next few years, more than 2 million passengers and 7.7 million tons of cargo are expected to be transported through the Chabahar-Zahedan railway line annually.
The Chabahar-Zahedan-Zahedan line is located on the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
The INSTC has three routes on Iran's territory. The eastern route is Turkmenistan and Central Asian countries; the middle route is Russia and other countries via the Caspian Sea; and the western route is Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, and Eastern European countries.
The foundation of the ‘International North-South Transport Corridor’ was laid on the basis of an intergovernmental agreement signed between Russia, Iran, and India on September 12, 2000. In total, 13 countries have ratified the agreement, including Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Russia, Türkiye, etc.
The purpose of creating a corridor is to reduce the delivery time of cargo from India to Russia, as well as to North and West Europe. Delivery time on the current route is more than 6 weeks; it is expected to be reduced to 3 weeks via the North-South Transport Corridor.
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