Iran, Russia set to finalise €1.6 billion Rasht–Astara railway project

An Iranian delegation is expected to travel to Russia within the next month to sign a contract for the construction of the Rasht–Astara railway line, Iranian officials have said.

According to TASS, the announcement was made by Houshang Bazvand, Director for Construction and Development of Transport Infrastructure of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Speaking at a press conference, Bazvand said that preparations for the agreement are nearing completion.

“According to our estimates, in less than a month, an Iranian delegation will be sent to Russia for the final signing of the contract. After that, construction work on the Rasht–Astara railway will effectively begin,” he said.

Bazvand noted that Iran has already accepted around 70 per cent of the proposals put forward by the Russian side regarding the design and construction of the railway section. He added that Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters has been selected as the general contractor. The company operates within the structure of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite branch of the country’s armed forces.

Russia and Iran signed an agreement in 2023 under the North–South transport corridor project to jointly build the 160-kilometre Rasht–Astara railway section. The line is intended to provide uninterrupted rail access to ports in the Persian Gulf. The total cost of the project is estimated at €1.6 billion, with Moscow and Tehran jointly financing the design, construction, and supply of goods and services.

On December 12, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Iran has already acquired land for more than 100 kilometres of the planned 160-kilometre Rasht–Astara section, which runs between Iran and Azerbaijan. He expressed hope that the land acquisition process would be fully completed by March 2026.

By Tamilla Hasanova