Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23
By Fatih Karimov - Trend: Iran needs financial resources to inaugurate the Qazvin-Rasht-Astara railway.
Iran's transport minister Abbas Akhoundi said if the required financial resources are provided the railway will be inaugurated in the near future, Iran's ISNA news agency reported on Feb. 23.
The railway will come on stream early in the next Iranian fiscal year, starting on March 21, if the necessary funds are provided, he noted.
The transport ministry has pinned hope on foreign investors stepping up to finance the project, he added.
The Qazvin-Rasht-Astara railway with the length of 375 kilometers is currently the missing link in the North-South transport corridor and it will link the Northern Europe to South-East Asia. It will link the railroads of Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia.
The construction of the Qazvin-Rasht railway with the length of 205 kilometers has already been completed. Its capacity will be equal to 1.4 million passengers and 5-7 million metric tons of cargo per year, according to the preliminary estimates. Some 22 tunnels, 15 bridges will be built on the railway. The construction of 15 tunnels has already been completed.
Iran has proposed Azerbaijan take part in financing the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway.
Azerbaijan's Minister of Economy and Industry Shahin Mustafayev has said that the country is ready to provide necessary support to speed up the construction of the Qazvin-Rasht-Astara railway.
"This project is of great importance for both of the sides and Azerbaijan is ready to provide necessary support in speeding up the implementation of the project," Mustafayev said.
Edited by CN