(MENAFN) A shipment of rail transit cargo originating from Russia and destined for India crossed into Iran via the Incheh-Boroun border crossing on Saturday. Consisting of 31 containers, the cargo will be transported to the Bandar Abbas port in southern Iran using the Iranian section of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) before being forwarded to India. This marks the second instance of Russian rail transit cargo being routed through Iran en route to India.
The inaugural shipment from Russia to India via Iran occurred in July 2022, when a similar cargo entered Iran through the Sarakhs border crossing, inaugurating the eastern section of the North-South railway corridor. The recent entry of the Russian train was commemorated with a ceremony attended by high-ranking Iranian officials, including First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, along with ministers from various sectors.
During the ceremony, Vice President Mokhber reaffirmed the Iranian government's commitment to expanding trade, particularly in the transit sector, highlighting the country's increased transit capacity, which currently stands at 20 million tons. He emphasized the potential for further growth, with plans in place to facilitate the transit of up to 300 million tons of commodities annually.
The Russian transit train, comprising 39 containers, commenced its journey from the Chekhov station on July 6, traversing a distance of 3,800 kilometers through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan before entering Iran. Upon reaching Bandar Abbas port, the cargo will be shipped to India's Nhava Sheva Port via sea. This transit route is part of the North-South Corridor, which comprises three route sections, namely East, West, and Middle.
Additionally, Iran and Russia are collaborating in the maritime sector to utilize the Caspian Sea as a means of shortening the transit route between Russia and India. Last year, the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) allocated 300 containers for transporting goods between the two countries, aiming to execute the first phase of a program to transit Russian commodities to India through the North-South Corridor using the Caspian Sea.
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