BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16. Geological research
has begun on a 14.2-kilometer section of the Rasht-Astara railway
in northern Iran, part of the North-South International Transport
Corridor on May 15, Trend reports citing the Iranian Ministry of Roads and
Urban Development.
The surveyed area lies on agricultural land. After acquiring
ownership of the land, the Iranian government handed the site over
to the Russian side to conduct the geological study.
The foundation of the ‘International North-South Transport
Corridor’ was laid on the basis of an intergovernmental agreement
signed between Russia, Iran, and India on September 12, 2000. In
total, 13 countries have ratified the agreement, including
Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Russia, Türkiye, etc.
The aim of setting up a corridor is to cut down the delivery
time of cargo from India to Russia, along with Northern and Western
Europe. The delivery time on the current route is dragging its feet
at over 6 weeks; however, it’s anticipated to be trimmed down to 3
weeks through the International North-South Transport Corridor.
To facilitate the integration of Azerbaijan Railways with the
Iranian rail infrastructure within the designated corridor, the
Qazvin-Rasht rail link, spanning 175 kilometers, was officially
commissioned on March 6, 2019. The Rasht-Astara rail corridor is
slated for development within the geopolitical confines of the
Iranian territory.
The north-south corridor has 3 directions in the territory of
Iran. Eastern direction: Turkmenistan and Central Asian countries;
Middle direction: other countries across the Caspian Sea; Western
direction: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, and Eastern European
countries.
On May 17, 2023, Russia and Iran signed an agreement to build
the Rasht-Astara railroad line in Gilan province, northern Iran.
The 163-kilometer-long Rasht-Astara railway line will house nine
stations. The completion of this railroad will enhance the
North-South international corridor and connect Iran’s railroad
network to the Caucasus countries, Russia, and Northern European
countries. Under the agreement, the Russian side is to spend 1.6
billion euros on the construction of this railroad. This railroad
is planned to be built and completed within 48 months.
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