25 November 2013
As Iranians celebrated approximately $7bn in sanctions relief yesterday following a long-awaited nuclear deal with world powers, it emerged that a railway project is underway in Iran that will connect it to Russia’s rail network via Azerbaijan.
Speaking during a visit by representatives of the Economic Cooperation Organisation to the under-construction Qazvin-Rasht-Astara railway network, Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Tehran, Javanshir Akhundov, said the three countries have a trilateral contract for building the railway system.
The railway will connect Iran to Russia via Azerbaijan (Wikimedia Commons)
"We hope that this railway network will be completed soon and be utilized in order to help the two countries to make use of the advantages of connection of railways to each other," he added.
Around 70% of the work for the construction of 15 tunnels has been completed. It is expected that the railway will be completed in March 2014.
Once complete the railway will be 205km in length and will include 82 bridges with total length of nine kilometers and 53 tunnels with a total length of 22km.
