Rasht–Astara Railway Project

railway

Distance

165 km
new
165km
rehabilitated
– km
existing
– km

Cost

$1.6b
$1,600,000,000

planned

2028

Capacity

15m
Tons Cargo Per Year

Objective

Bridge the missing rail link in the Western INSTC, facilitating faster rail transport from Russia to the Indian Ocean via Iran.

Description

The Rasht–Astara railway project is a critical 165-km missing link in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), designed to connect Russia, Iran, and Azerbaijan

History

The Soviet Union had extended its own railway network to Astara, Azerbaijan, in 1941, reaching the Iranian border. But within Iran, the crucial stretch from Astara to Qazvin remained incomplete.

Finance

logo
$1.3b loan
Federal Government of Russia
Government

Governing authorities

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