The long-awaited Rasht–Astara railway in northern Iran will pave the way for shipping up to 70 million tonnes of cargo annually between Russia and India once operational, according to Shahriyar Nagizadeh, Director General of Foreign Trade at Iran Railways, local media reported.
Nagizadeh said the 163 km rail link—part of the western branch of the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC)—is one of Iran’s most strategic infrastructure projects, set to dramatically boost regional freight flows while cutting logistics costs and environmental impact.
He noted that transporting one tonne of cargo by rail over one kilometre saves around 33 cubic metres of fuel, while shifting cargo from road to rail will help reduce highway congestion and accidents.
Iran’s international rail freight volumes are also growing. “Last year, five million tonnes of cargo were transported via Iran’s international railways. Despite challenges, 3.6 million tonnes have been moved since the beginning of the current Iranian year (March 21), a 12% rise year-on-year,” Nagizadeh added.
Key link in a fast-developing Eurasian corridor
The Rasht–Astara rail line will complete a missing link in the INSTC, enabling seamless connectivity from India’s ports through Iran and onward to Russia, the Caucasus, and Northern Europe. The 7,200 km corridor aims to cut transit times from over six weeks to just three, significantly enhancing India–Russia trade flows.
The INSTC’s development dates back to a 2000 intergovernmental agreement between Russia, Iran and India, later joined by Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Türkiye and several other countries.
The corridor’s infrastructure is steadily progressing: the 175 km Qazvin–Rasht railway, inaugurated in 2019, already connects Azerbaijan’s network with Iran’s. The final leg—Rasht to Astara on the Azerbaijani border—is now moving forward following a €1.6bn agreement signed by Russia and Iran in May 2023.
The new line will include nine stations and is slated for completion within 48 months. Once built, it will fully integrate Iran’s rail system with networks in the Caucasus, Russia and Northern Europe, boosting capacity across the INSTC’s eastern, central and western routes.
With geopolitical shifts and growing demand for diversified trade corridors, the Rasht–Astara railway is emerging as a vital link in Eurasia’s evolving supply chain architecture.
