While there are still political and economic challenges in the development of the North-South Corridor, important agreements on trade and transport have been signed in parallel with the official project concerning the Corridor. Iran plays an active part in emphasising the trade connections with Central Asia, as on its territory, more precisely between Iran and Azerbaijan, the construction of the line Qazvin – Astara – Rasht was initiated. At the moment, the line is the only missing section of the Corridor.
In February last year, during a reunion dedicated to the North-South Corridor, representatives of the transport management in Azerbaijan, Russia and Iran have signed three cooperation documents on accelerating the development of the corridor project. Thus, Iran and Russia will cooperate in the electrification of Tehran – Bandar Abbas line, while the agreement signed by Azerbaijan and Iran stipulates cooperation in building the railway section.
According to Abdulali Sahib Mohammadi, Head of Railways Department at Iranian Railways, “freight transport on the North-South Route is currently made on sea, a journey which takes 45 days, but it will take 25 days once the rail section Qazvin – Rasht – Astara is finalized”. The only missing link along the North-South Corridor is the 375-km long Qazvin – Astara – Rasht. Most of the section, 300 km, is located in Iran. 8.5 km of railways will be built in Azerbaijan and the line will be equipped with systems for changing the wheels, a bridge, as well as the necessary customs and frontier infrastructure. The cost of works in Azerbaijan will amount to USD 35-40 Million. Most of works will be carried out in Iran, as the country has no rail connection to the border with Azerbaijan. According to the technical and economic specifications, the capacity of the new line Rasht (Iran) – Astara (Azerbaijan) could reach 9 million tonnes in 2015 and more than 19 million tonnes by 2030. The total amount of investments for the construction of this line is estimated at USD 408 Million.
In 2008, RZD said it was ready to participate in the implementation of the North-South international transport corridor project, according to the statements of the company’s Vice President, Vadim Morozov.
During the implementation of Kazakhstan railway line, Turkmenistan and Iran have begun the construction of line Uzen-Gorgan in parallel with the Caspian Sea coast to replace the current, longer route to Iran”, said Vadim Morozov.
“The construction of this route will make possible for the first time in history the development of a railway connection of about 4,500 km from St. Petersburg to the port of Bandar Abbas (Iran) in the Persian Gulf and a shorter connection between North-Western and Central Europe with the countries in Middle East and South Asia”.
What are in fact the advantages of developing the route along the western coast of the Caspian Sea? These advantages are presented by the International Union of Railways (UIC) through a feasibility study conducted in 2008 which shows that, on the long term, this is the most viable route. The fewer countries involved the better, as this means agreements are easier to sign at cross-border points. Also, there are alternative routes or back-up sections in case the main section fails (maritime transport through the Caspian Sea or railway transport through Azerbaijan).
“The Black Sea region and the Caucasus have a strategic importance for the development of international transport corridors. One of the key points is the development of the international North-South transport corridor to link Europe to Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean countries, as an alternative to sea transport. Freight transport flow through this corridor is estimated at 40 million tonnes per year”, said in an interview Vladimir Yakunin, RZD.
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