Iran's Key North-South Railway Project Set for Final Approval, Official Says

An agreement is expected to be finalized soon to begin the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway in Iran’s northern Gilan Province. This railway is a strategic segment of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), according to Amin Taraffo, the Director General for International Affairs at Iran’s Ministry of Transport and Urban Development.

Taraffo stated that final arrangements are underway between Iranian and Russian companies for the railway project, The Caspian Post reports citing local media.

The 160-kilometer line will traverse land already being acquired, with half of the required territory purchased so far and the remaining land expected to be secured by the end of the year (March 20, 2026), paving the way for construction to start next year.

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 (Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, Russia, Tajikistan, Türkiye, and 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 six 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 Rasht-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.