Iran is close to completing the construction of a railway section on the russia-India route

The new railway segment will connect the Iranian Caspian port city of Bandar Anzali to Rasht

It is expected that the railway line will be opened in July, according to the railway portal Railway Supply, citing railfreight.

In two months, the port city of Bandar Anzali will be able to offer railway services for transit of goods through the Caspian Sea. This information was reported by the Head of Iran’s Construction and Development of Transportation Infrastructure Company, Heyrolla Hademi, to Iranian media.

Approximately one-third of the railway line connecting Rasht and Bandar Anzali in Iran was completed in August of last year, with 11 out of 35 kilometers already constructed in 2022. The completion of this new line will provide an additional option for Russia, Central Asia, and Iran in solving logistical challenges that connect the countries.

Currently, Russia prefers the route via the Caspian Sea as an alternative access to Iran. The completion of the Rasht-Bandar Anzali railway line will serve as an ideal option for a more efficient connection of freight with the Iranian railway network.

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However, to avoid uncertainties at sea, the aggressor country has also developed railway routes connecting St. Petersburg and Mumbai via Turkmenistan, which require much more time compared to transit through Azerbaijan after the completion of the Rasht-Astara railway construction.

By completing the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway, Iran will be able to further expand its transit potential. At least, this is the belief of Iran’s First Vice President, Mohammad Moheb, who emphasized in his comments to Iranian media that Iran is already taking important steps to facilitate the development of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). He stated that the country’s transit potential has increased to 20 million tons, and with proper planning and measures, transit of 300 million tons of goods per year can be achieved.

Recently, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, Alexander Novak, informed the media that Russia and Iran are likely to sign an agreement on the completion of the Rasht-Astara railway construction in May. The completion of this railway section has been delayed several times, with the latest deadline set for mid-2023.

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