The development of the international North–South and East–West transport corridors is of strategic importance for Iran, President Masoud Pezeshkian said at a meeting on railway infrastructure in Tehran province, Trend reported Sunday.
Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh is working to attract domestic and foreign investment for the construction of the corridors, the modernization of railways and the completion of ongoing projects. The government is focused on simplifying procedures and removing restrictions to accelerate the implementation of infrastructure projects, noted Pezeshkian.
The International North–South Transport Corridor was established under a 2000 agreement between Russia, Iran and India. It includes three routes: an eastern route through Turkmenistan and Central Asian countries, a central route across the Caspian Sea to Russia, and a western route through the Caucasus and Eastern Europe.
On May 17, 2023, Russia and Iran signed an agreement to build the Rasht–Astara railway in Iran’s northern Gilan province. The approximately 163-kilometer line will include nine stations and is expected to strengthen the North–South corridor by linking Iran’s railway network with the Caucasus, Russia and Northern Europe. Russian investment in the project is estimated at 1.6 billion euros, with an implementation period of 48 months.
