BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 20. Iran intends to diversify the North-South International Transport Corridor (NSITC) in collaboration with Azerbaijan, the head of the Iran-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Friendship Group, Sodeif Badri, said in an exclusive statement to Trend.
According to Badri, the 250-kilometer-long Ardabil-Parsabad railway line in Iran’s northwest could play a significant role in boosting trade, transit, and cargo transportation between Azerbaijan and Iran. The railway line has the potential to be connected to the Imam Khomeini Port in the southwestern Khuzestan Province.
Badri noted that a map has already been prepared for the construction of the Ardabil-Parsabad railway line, and discussions have taken place with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian regarding the project. The line is currently a priority for the Iranian government.
The Iranian MP further explained that the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, along with the Planning and Budget Organization of Iran, has held talks with several local and foreign companies regarding the financing of the railway’s construction. Preliminary calculations indicate that the construction of the railway will require around 200 trillion rials (around $348 million).
To note, an 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 creating the corridor is to reduce the time of delivery of goods coming from India to Russia, as well as to Northern and Western Europe (the delivery time on the current route is more than 6 weeks; it is expected to be three weeks via "North-South").
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.
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.
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