Russia to begin studies for Rasht-Astara railway in 2 months

The feasibility studies on the construction of Rasht-Astara railway line, within the framework of the Moscow-Tehran memorandum of understanding (MoU), may begin within the next one to two months, the Russian minister says.

News ID: ۲۰۰۰۸۷۶

20 February 2025

EghtesadOnline: Russia plans to begin conducting engineering studies for the construction of the strategic Rasht-Astara railway in the next couple of months as part of an agreement between Moscow and Tehran, Russian transport minister stated.

Roman Starovoit told reporters on Wednesday that the executive agreement for the railway project is expected to be signed by the end of March 2025, Russia’s TASS news agency reported.

Additionally, the minister said, an annex agreement was signed between the two countries on Tuesday, allowing preliminary studies to begin before Iran completes the process of purchasing and acquiring land for the railway route.

The 162-kilometer railway will connect the Iranian city of Rasht, near the Caspian Sea, to Astara on the border with Azerbaijan.

Starovoit noted that the final costs of constructing the railway line will be determined after the studies and route design are completed.

According to reports, Russia and Iran signed an agreement for the joint construction of the Rasht-Astara route on May 17, 2023. Under the agreement, Moscow is set to provide Tehran with a government loan of €1.3 billion for the project. The total cost of the railway line has been estimated at approximately €1.6 billion.

The project is part of an agreement signed by Russia, India, and Iran in 2000 to establish the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a 7,200-km network of ship, rail, and road routes for moving freight between India, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia, and Europe. / Mehr