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Construction of Rasht-Astara railway project to begin next year

14 October 2025 15:10 (UTC +04:00)

"The construction of the Rasht-Astara railway project will begin next year," said Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev, APA's correspondent dispatched to Iran reports.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that serious steps are already being taken to acquire the lands that will be under the railway: "Half of the total 162 km of land - 80 km - has been acquired. The remaining part of the land will also be acquired by March next year. The Russian side has already begun geological exploration work. According to the information provided by the Russian side, the design will be carried out in stages. Practical construction work may begin in 2026. If it starts in 2026 and the construction is completed within 3 years, it will allow it to operate at full capacity by approximately 2030. Our Agreement with the Russian government states that, from January 2028, the transportation of 5 million tons of cargo will be ensured at the initial stage. In the future, cargo will be transported subject to an increase to 15 million tons. This will bring serious income to the Azerbaijani economy. Any country is interested in transporting transit cargo. This will also bring serious benefits to Azerbaijan from a geopolitical perspective."