Rasht-Astara Railroad Construction to Start in Weeks: Iranian Official
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s deputy minister of roads and urban development said the construction of the railroad connecting Rasht to Astara in the northern province of Gilan will kick off in the coming weeks.
Speaking at a televised program, Shahriar Afandizadeh said the construction of the 162-km-long railroad will begin within the next 45 days.
He noted that completion of the project will play a leading role in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
Once the INSTC is launched, a great economic capacity will be brought about for the neighboring and regional states, the deputy roads minister added.
Iran proposed the idea of the international “Iran Road” project during a tripartite summit with India and Russia in April 2023, Mehr News Agency reported.
The International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a 7,200-km long multi-mode network of ship, rail and road route for moving freight between India, Iran, Republic of Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe, he stated.
Iranian officials have estimated that the Rasht-Astara railroad will allow for the transportation of one million passengers as well as 10 million tons of cargo in the first year of service.
