Tehran, Baku in talks on rail link
Iran and Azerbaijan are in talks on establishing a railway link between Baku and Tehran, said the deputy head for passenger affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways.
Negotiations are underway between Iran and Azerbaijan on the construction of a railway route between the two countries, Mir Hassan Mousavi told Trend News Agency.
The rail link is expected to connect Baku to the Azerbaijani city of Astara, he further said, adding that Astara will also be linked to the Iranian city by the same name and eventually to the capital Tehran.
Mousavi said the two sides are seeking to address potential problems, complete the formalities, and do away with customs duties so that they can expedite the construction of the railway line.
“The route will be launched after completion of the Rasht-astara rail segment as part of the International North-south Transportation Corridor,” he said.
“We will see three trains departing stations from Baku to Iran’s Mashhad, Isfahan and Tehran in the near future with the completion of the Rasht-astara railway line,” he said.
Mousavi added that the launching of Baku-tehran rail route will make it easier for manufacturers, industrialists, and businessmen to commute.
He added that now the customs organizations of the two countries are coordinating and overseeing duties and passport regulations in a bid to determine the rail boundary between the two nations.
He concluded that lack of passengers is the main challenge in launching a passenger train service between Iran’s northeastern city of Mashhad and Nakhichevan, in Azerbaijan, adding that the two sides are working to settle the problem.