Russian specialists working on Rasht-Astara railway project: Deputy PM
Russia’s deputy prime minister stated that Russian specialists are currently in Iran and working on the Rasht-Astara railway project.
In response to a question from the TASS news agency about the timeline for constructing the railway, Alexei Overchuk said on Wednesday, “Our specialists are already present in Iran,” IRNA reported.
Russia’s state media further quoted Kazem Jalali, Iran’s ambassador to Moscow, as writing, “The Rasht-Astara railway will be built in less than three to four years.”
On February 20, 2024, Russia’s Transport Minister announced that the country might begin feasibility studies for the Rasht-Astara railway line under the Moscow-Tehran memorandum of understanding within the next one to two months.
“The executive agreement for this railway project is scheduled to be signed by the end of March 2025. Additionally, an annex agreement was signed between the two countries on February 20, 2024, which allows us to begin our surveys and studies before the Iranian side completes the process of purchasing and securing land along the railway route,” Roman Vladimirovich Starovoit told reporters.
“The cost of constructing this railway will be determined after completing the studies and route design, but for now, we are still considering approximately the same figure previously announced,” Starovoit added.
On May 7, 2023, Russia and Iran signed an agreement to jointly build the Rasht-Astara route. Under this agreement, Moscow will provide Tehran with an intergovernmental loan worth €1.3 billion for the project.
According to Russian sources, the construction cost of the railway is estimated at €1.6 billion.
Earlier, Russia’s state-run TASS news agency reported, the Rasht-Astara line is expected to be built with Moscow-Tehran cooperation, while the Astara (located in Iran) - Astara (located in Azerbaijan) line will be developed through trilateral cooperation between Moscow, Tehran, and Baku.”