Iran’s ambassador: Construction of Astara-Rasht railroad to begin in 2025

Iran is expected to commence the construction of a railway line between the cities of Astara and Rasht in 2025.

According to Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the railway will form part of the International North-South Transport Corridor, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

"We hope that the project will be launched in 2025. The project itself will take approximately three years to complete," said the ambassador.

He also mentioned that Iran had anticipated the start of construction this year, but "a number of issues arose."

To recap, in May 2023, Iran and Russia signed an agreement to cooperate on the financing, design, construction, and supply of goods and services for the Astara-Rasht railway. The new line will link Iran’s railway network with that of Azerbaijan, as well as other CIS countries.

Russia has committed to providing an intergovernmental loan of €1.3 billion towards a project with an estimated total cost of €1.6 billion. On May 17, 2023, the Russian Federation and Iran formalised an agreement to jointly construct the Rasht-Astara railway, which will span 170 kilometres. This new rail link will connect the land sections of the International North-South Transport Corridor, significantly enhancing the economic viability of the trans-Caspian route.

Russian officials believe that this project could serve as an alternative to the Suez Canal, enabling a seamless transport route for goods both transiting to Europe and from Russia to the Persian Gulf. The initiative brings together various transport systems from different nations.

At the same time, Azerbaijan has finished reconstructing a rail terminal in its Astara region, across the border with Iran. Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) says that the terminal upgrade will enhance the handling capacity and speed of cargo transshipments.

By Aghakazim Guliyev