Iran Highlights Mutual Co-Op Development With Azerbaijan On Freight Transportation

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 3.​ Iran is developing mutual relations in the field of freight transportation and transit with neighboring countries, including Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and other countries, Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh said, Trend reports.

She made the remark at a meeting with the participation of members of the Iranian Parliament's Committee on Urban Development.

According to her, projects and corridors in the realm of transit and freight transportation are taking center stage in Iran, considering their significance.

Sadegh also mentioned that the wheels are turning in this direction as they lay the tracks for the Rasht-Astara railway, all part of the grand scheme of the North-South International Transport Corridor.

Currently, the purchase of property for the territory through which the railway line passes has been finalized.

The minister pointed out that the construction of the Chabahar-Zahedan railway line is continuing rapidly in the country and expressed hope that this railway line will be completed soon.

Sadegh added that the construction of the Shalamcheh-Basra railway between Iran and Iraq is expected to be completed next year.

To note, the 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, Islamic Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Sultanate of Oman, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Ukraine). The purpose of establishing the corridor is to reduce the delivery time of cargo traveling from India to Russia, as well as to Northern and Western Europe (the delivery time along the existing route is more than six weeks; it is expected to be three weeks via North-South).

The Gazvin-Rasht railroad, stretching 175 km, hit the ground running on March 6, 2019, linking Azerbaijan's railroads with Iran's railway network in the corridor. The Rasht-Astara railroad is set to take shape on Iranian soil.

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.

Russia and Iran signed an agreement on May 17, 2023, to build 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 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.

MENAFN03092025000187011040ID1110010033