WANA (Apr 16) – Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk has confirmed that Russian specialists are currently in Iran and actively working on the Rasht-Astara railway project.

 

Earlier, Kazem Jalali, Iran’s ambassador to Moscow, had stated that the Rasht-Astara railway is expected to be completed within the next three to four years.

 

The project is part of the larger North-South Transport Corridor initiative. In 2023, Iran and Russia signed a deal to construct a 160-kilometer stretch of railway linking the Iranian city of Rasht to Astara, on the border with Azerbaijan.

 

This crucial segment will serve as a transit route connecting Russia and the Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf ports.

 

The total cost of the project is estimated at €1.6 billion. Under the agreement, both Moscow and Tehran will jointly finance the design, construction, and provision of goods and services related to the railway.