BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. Iran will start construction of the Rasht-Astara railway in Iran’s northern province of Gilan as of the beginning of the 2024, with the participation of Russia, as part of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Mehrdad Bazrpash said, TurkicWorld reports.

The minister said that Iran aims to boost transit by developing its relations with neighboring countries and enhancing the corridors that pass through its territory.

Bazrpash said that cargo transit through Iran has increased in the first eight months of the current Iranian year (March 21 through November 21, 2023), compared to the same period last year.

He added that Russia and other countries have expressed their interest in increasing cargo transit through Iran.

“Therefore, we should use all the potential of the country for cargo transportation in Iran,” he said.

Bazrpash also said that the Rasht-Caspian railway line, which is part of the INSTC, will be completed by the end of the current Iranian year (March 19, 2024). This will create a railway connection from the Persian Gulf in the south of Iran to the Caspian Sea in the north.

On May 17, 2023, Russia and Iran signed an agreement to build the Rasht-Astara railway in Gilan province. The railway will be 163 km long and will have 9 stations. This project will improve the North-South International Corridor and link Iran’s railway network to the Caucasus countries, Russia and Northern Europe.

The Russian side is expected to invest 1.6 billion euros in this project, which is planned to be finished in 48 months.

The foundation of the ‘International North-South Transport Corridor’ was laid on the basis of an intergovernmental agreement signed between Russia, Iran, and India on September 12, 2000. In total, 13 countries have ratified the agreement, including Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Russia, Türkiye, etc.

The purpose of creating a corridor is to reduce the delivery time of cargo from India to Russia, as well as to North and West Europe. Delivery time on the current route is more than 6 weeks, it is expected to be reduced to 3 weeks via North-South Transport Corridor.

Iran's 175 km-long Qazvin-Rasht railway was officially put into operation on March 6, 2019, to connect Azerbaijani railways with the Iranian railway network within the corridor. In addition, the 167-kilometer-long Rasht-Astara railway line will be built in Iran.