Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has endorsed the agreement on the construction of the Rasht - Astara railway line and the transfer of the entire 162-kilometer line to a Russian company to conduct surveys, Iranian Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development and Director General of Construction and Development of Transportation Infrastructures Company (CDTIC) Houshang Bazvand said.
Russia and Iran signed a package of documents on the Rasht-Astara railway line construction project, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Nikitin said.
Turkmenistan has commissioned a 44-kilometer section of the Turkmenbashi-Garabogaz-Kazakhstan highway, which forms part of the international North-South transport corridor, the press service of the Turkmen government reported.
The throughput capacity of border crossings between Russia and Azerbaijan has grown fivefold, according to Russian Minister of Transport, who noted that the two countries are linked by the International North‑South Transport Corridor.
Russia and Iran hope to begin construction work on the Rasht-Astara railway line in northern Iran in 2027 and complete it within three years, Russian Railways First Deputy CEO Sergei Pavlov said.
Once the route has been tested, Pakistan plans to use new routes, including plans to send trains from Minsk to the port of Gwadar
Russia and Azerbaijan have discussed the development of freight traffic along the International North-South Transport Corridor, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Russia reported.
Azerbaijan transited more than 9 million tonnes of cargo in the first seven months of 2026, the highest figure in five years.
Iran attaches great importance to the development of the North-South and East-West international transport corridors, Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh said during a meeting in Tehran with members of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has expressed confidence that progress would soon be achieved in implementing the North-South international transport corridor project.
Russia is convinced that the aggravation of the situation in the Middle East will not change the attitude of partners to the launch of the North-South International Transport Corridor (ITC), Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
Azerbaijan Railways delegation and Iranian officials inspected the ongoing construction works at the Astara Terminal during the visit to Iran, according to the press service of the Azerbaijan Railways.
Freight traffic along the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) jumped 87% in the first four months of 2026, Russian Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin said, with shipments to Iran leading the increase.
Despite the war in Iran, Russia increased shipments along the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) by 13% last month, Russian Railways CEO Oleg Belozerov said.
The 17th meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Trade, and Humanitarian Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iran was held yesterday in Baku.
Today, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by Farzaneh Sadegh, Minister of Roads and Urban Development of Iran and Co-Chair of the Azerbaijan-Iran Intergovernmental Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation.
The practical implementation of the Rasht-Astara railway line project within the framework of the North-South international transport corridor will begin on April 1, 2026, Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilyov said.
Moscow and Tehran are jointly implementing the Rasht-Astara railway project. The cost of the project is €1.6 bln
Azerbaijan plans a comprehensive modernization of the Baku-Astara railway line, which, once completed, will allow for the resumption of passenger service on this route, Azerbaijan's Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rahman Hummatov said.
Tehran is seriously commited to implement the Rasht-Astara railway project
