Iran close to opening Caspian Sea-Persian Gulf missing rail link

Iran is planning to inaugurate a major rail link this summer that completes railway connection between the Caspian Sea in its north and the Persian Gulf in the south.

Deputy transportation minister Kheirollah Khademi said on Saturday that the 37-kilometer Rasht-Caspian rail line will be ready in late July.

Khademi said opening the rail link will allow rail freight transport from Bandar Caspian to Iran’s main container port of Bandar Abbas in south.

He said the rail line will enable Russia to transport its cargoes via the Iranian rail network to the Persian Gulf.

The official said the track bed of the railway will be fully ready within the next two months.

“With the inauguration of the Rasht-Caspian railway, (Iranian) railway will be connected to the Caspian Sea, creating the possibility for rail transport from Russia to Iran and via Iran to south and Bandar Abbas,” said Khademi.

Iran has a larger railway project to connect the city of Rasht to Astara on the border with Azerbaijan. The project, which will rely on Russian funding, will connect the Persian Gulf to the port of Helsinki in Finland through railway networks of several countries.

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