Iran and Russia finalise agreement to launch Rasht–Astara railway project

Iran and Russia have completed final negotiations on the construction of the Rasht–Astara railway in northern Iran, paving the way for the signing of an executive agreement that will accelerate completion of the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

According to Pars Today, a partner of TV BRICS, both sides have finalised technical, financial and operational details of the strategically important 160-kilometre rail link, which will connect the city of Rasht in Gilan province to Astara.

The agreement is expected to be formally signed during the upcoming Transport Week forum in Moscow. Sergey Tsivilev, Russia’s Energy Minister, confirmed that practical and technical implementation of the major infrastructure project is scheduled to begin in early April 2026.

The Rasht–Astara railway is regarded as a missing link in the International North–South Transport Corridor, a multimodal transport network designed to connect Northern Europe to the Indian Ocean via Russia, the Caucasus, Central Asia and Iran. Once completed, the line will significantly enhance rail connectivity across Eurasia and strengthen freight capacity along one of the world’s most strategically important trade routes.

The North–South corridor is widely viewed not merely as an energy transit route but as a global logistics artery, reducing transport times and costs for goods moving between major economic centres across Eurasia, experts claimed.