Azernews.Az

By Nigar Abbasova

Azerbaijan and Iran are keen on putting on stream the Astara (Iran)-Astara (Azerbaijan) railway line project, which would connect the relevant networks of both countries.

Iranian Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development Saeed Mohammadzadeh said that the project, which is a part of the ambitious International North-South Transport Corridor, will be commissioned in March 2017.

Mohammadzadeh made the remarks during a meeting with Javid Gurbanov, the head of Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) on February 7.

Along with the construction of the Astara - Astara railway, the sides also discussed the development of the railway terminal in Iran’s Astara, as well as the overall work on the implementation of the North-South project.

The length of the railway is 10 kilometers, with some 8 kilometers falling to a share of Azerbaijan and two kilometers passing through the Iranian territory.

The construction of the railroad bridge over the Astarachay River also nears completion. The construction of the bridge, which forms the border between the two similarly-named towns of Astara in Azerbaijan and Iran, was launched in April 2016.

The bridge, which is funded and built jointly by the two countries under the terms of an inter-governmental agreement, bears strategic importance, as it will serve as a connector of railways of Azerbaijan and Iran. The length of the railroad bridge is expected to reach 82.5 meters, while its width will amount to 10.6 meters.

The International North-South Transport Corridor is meant to connect Northern Europe with Southeast Asia, serving as a link connecting the railways of Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia. The corridor is planned to transport 6 million tons of cargo per year at the initial stage and 15-20 million tons of cargo in the future.

During the meeting, Gurbanov also pointed to the strengthening cooperation between the railway agencies of Azerbaijan and Iran, mentioning the operation of the Nakhchivan-Mashhad passenger train, which was launched on December 29, 2016.

The train runs twice a week - on Thursdays and Sundays, making stops in Iranian cities of Jolfa, Tabriz and Tehran.

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Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova

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