Bostanabad-Khavaran railway set to launch this week: Iran’s Bostanabad-Khavaran railway — part of the Mianeh-Bostonabad-Tabriz railroad extending from Bostonabad to Khavaran in northwest Iran — will be inaugurated this week in the presence of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in East Azerbaijan, Tasnim News Agencyreports, citing statements by Iranian Deputy Roads and Urban Development Minister Kheirollah Khademi.

The details: The double-tracked railway was built with a total of IRR 30 tn (USD 709.6 mn) in credit, Tasnim said, without clarifying who provided the funds. The railway spans a distance of 44 km, and goes over 6 km of valley bridges and through 7 km of tunnels, Khademi said.The larger Mianeh-Bostonabad-Tabriz railroad is 203 km long with 10 stations.

The new railway will boost transportation speed: The railway is expected to decrease travel time from Tehran to Tabriz by four to five hours, Khademi said, adding that this shorter travel distance will mean less pollution, among other benefits. The project is part of the southern corridor of the Trans-Asian-Railway (TAR), which is a developing freight railway network spanning Europe and Asia.

Speaking of railways: Iran and Russia inked a EUR 1.6 bn agreement in May to construct the Rasht-Astara railway, which will complete the 7.2k km International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) — a network of ship, rail, and road routes connecting South Asia to Europe. The new route will see the transportation of foodstuffs and other attributable goods to consumers in Iran, the Arabian Gulf, and Africa.

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