Iran begins railway construction as part of North-South project

Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 10 Trend: Iran has begun constructing the sections of the Qazvin-Rasht and Astara (Iran) - Astara (Azerbaijan) railway as part of the North-South international transport project, Mohsen Pak Ayeen, Iran’s ambassador to Azerbaijan, told reporters Feb. 10. He said that the construction work is being rapidly conducted. "The Astara (Iran) - Astara (Azerbaijan) section is planned to be constructed in 2016, while the Qazvin-Rasht section in 2017,” he said. “The Rasht-Astara railway will be under construction simultaneously.” The Qazvin-Rasht-Astara railway is part of the North-South transport corridor. Construction investments are estimated at $ 400 million. At this initial stage, plans call for transporting 6 million tons of cargo per year, increasing to 15-20 million tons per year in the future. Follow us on Twitter @TRENDNewsAgency