Iranian Deputy Transport Minister Abbas Khatibi said on Wednesday that land purchases for the Rasht-Astara railway in northern Iran have accelerated in recent months amid the government’s efforts to start the project as soon as possible. .
Khatibi said land is owned for 30 kilometers along the 162-kilometre rail link, adding that the government expects the land purchase process for the project to conclude in early 2026 with an investment of $75 million. Ta.
However, he denied reports that collaboration with Russia on the project, including issues related to planning and other aspects of the railway, had come to a halt due to delays in land purchases.
Officials claimed that construction of the Rasht-Astara railway began in May 2023, when the presidents of Iran and Russia oversaw the signing of the project’s financing and construction contract.
The remarks came after Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated he was not satisfied with the pace of work on the project, for which Moscow pledged to provide a 1.3 billion euro loan.
Russia has made the railway a key link in the international North-South Transport Corridor (INSC), with some experts believing it could even rival the Suez Canal as a major trade route linking the Indian Ocean with the Baltic Sea. I consider it to be.
In addition to the railway project, Russia has pledged to contribute financially and technically to the construction of the Sirik power plant in southern Iran and to build two new stages at Iran’s only nuclear power plant in southern Bushehr. Masu.
MNA