Russian minister says Resht-Astara railway construction to be completed by 2028

Russian Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev has said the construction of the Resht-Astara railway section will be completed by 2028.

"As part of the development of the western route of the ITC "North-South", an intergovernmental agreement was signed in May 2023, which is the result of almost 20 years of discussion of the issue of construction of the missing section of the Resht - Astara railway line on the territory of Iran. We expect full implementation of the construction by 2028," TASS quotes him as addressing a government hour in the State Duma (parliament).

Savelyev noted that the goal of the Russian Railways Holding Company in 2023 is to transport more than a million containers through the North-South International Transport Corridor (ITC).

On May 17, Russia and Iran signed an agreement within the framework of the North-South project on the joint construction of a 160-kilometre section of the Resht-Astara road between Azerbaijan and Iran, which will provide through traffic to Persian Gulf ports. The total cost of the project is €1.6 billion.