Russia and Iran are planning to begin construction of the Rasht-Astara railway in northern Iran in 2027, a project expected to strengthen transport connections between the two countries through Azerbaijan as part of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
Sergey Pavlov, First Deputy General Director of Russian Railways (RZD), announced the timeline on the sidelines of the eighth New Silk Way International Transport and Logistics Business Forum, according to Interfax.
He said construction was expected to take three years under the terms of an intergovernmental agreement between Moscow and Tehran.
"The project is underway, and survey work is already being conducted. Although this work began earlier this year, it was interrupted due to military operations; however, activities have now fully resumed," Pavlov said.
Survey work on the project began in May 2025. The planned 162-kilometre railway will include eight new stations, 56 viaducts, 73 bridges and 30 overpasses.
The total cost is estimated at €1.6 billion, of which Russia is expected to provide €1.3 billion.
Once completed, the railway is expected to support annual freight transportation of at least 15 million tonnes.
Azerbaijan's role in the North-South corridor
The Rasht-Astara railway is a key missing section of the western branch of the International North-South Transport Corridor, which connects Russia with Iran through Azerbaijan.
The planned line will connect the Iranian city of Rasht with Astara on the Azerbaijan–Iran border, enabling railway traffic to continue through Azerbaijan's existing rail network towards Russia.
Azerbaijan's Astara railway connection and border infrastructure are therefore important components of the wider project, providing the link between the Iranian railway section and the Azerbaijani network.
At present, the incomplete railway connection on the Iranian side limits the development of continuous rail freight transportation along this route, requiring cargo transfers between different modes of transport.
Completing the Rasht-Astara section would help address this bottleneck and facilitate the movement of goods between Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran and markets further south.
For Azerbaijan, the project is particularly relevant to its position as a transit country along the western route of the North-South corridor. Increased railway connectivity could support additional freight flows through Azerbaijani territory and its transport infrastructure.
The planned construction timetable envisages completion around 2030, provided work begins in 2027 and proceeds according to schedule.