Iran’s 37 km Rasht-Caspian railway is now operational connecting the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea in a bid to boost trade links between the two regions, IRNA reports. Located in Gilan Province, the USD 720 mn project forms part of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and was set to be inaugurated nearly a month ago.

Details: The railway has a carrying capacity of 7 mn tons and will allow direct freight transport from the Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf via the country’s existing railway network, CEO of Iran’s Construction and Development of Transportation Infrastructures Company Kheirollah Khadem said.

REFRESHER- The 7.2 km INSTC links Russia, India, Iran, and Azerbaijan via ship, rail, and road routes. Iran and Russia inked a EUR 1.6 bn agreement in May 2023 to build the Rasht-Astara railway to complete the INSTC. In November 2023, Iran began operations for its Hamedan-Sanandaj railway in a bid to set up the INSTC.

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