Iran and Russia have taken a new step toward implementing the 162-kilometre Rasht–Astara railway project, a key section of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) that aims to connect Russia with the Persian Gulf and South Asian markets.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council has approved the agreement related to the project, allowing implementation efforts to accelerate. The entire railway route has been made available for Russian engineering assessments, technical studies and field surveys.

Full route opened for engineering and field studies

Iranian Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development Hooshang Bazvand said the final approval was granted after consultations over the agreement.

He stated that the remaining 37 kilometres of land along the railway route had recently been handed over to the Russian side, meaning that technical work could now proceed across the full 162-kilometre line.

Iranian engineers are also expected to participate in the surveying and preparatory stages of the project.

The move follows a protocol signed between Russia's Caspian Services and Iran's Construction and Development of Transportation Infrastructures Company (CDTIC), which granted access to land along the planned route for advanced engineering surveys.

Railway project includes major infrastructure works

The Rasht–Astara railway is planned to include extensive infrastructure construction, including eight stations, 56 viaducts, 73 bridges and 30 overpasses.

Russian specialists have already carried out preliminary engineering activities, including establishing a geodetic control network and conducting aerial surveys, while additional topographic and hydrometeorological studies are continuing.

Critical link in North-South Transport Corridor

The railway is considered one of the missing links in the International North-South Transport Corridor, a multimodal trade route connecting northern Eurasia with the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean regions through Russia and Iran.

Once completed, the line is expected to connect the railway networks of Russia and Iran, improve freight transportation efficiency and strengthen trade links between northern and southern markets.

The project is also seen as strategically important for Moscow and Tehran as both countries seek to expand alternative transport routes and increase regional connectivity.

The Rasht–Astara railway has been under discussion for years, with Russia and Iran working to overcome technical, financial and logistical challenges before construction begins.(ILKHA)