Russian Railways expects decision soon on completing section of Iran's Rasht-Astara railway line

MOSCOW. Oct 21 (Interfax) - Russian Railways is expecting a decision soon on completing a section of the Rasht-Astara railway line in Iran, Sergei Pavlov, first deputy head of the company, said on Friday during the Made in Russia 2022 international export forum.

"Rasht-Astara is a serious obstacle today for connecting the railway route [North-South ITC] into a single network," Pavlov said, noting that the RZD-Logistics subsidiary currently uses the route for multimodal transportation.

"We are currently holding very intensive negotiations with the Iranian side and with the Azerbaijani side in order to launch the route," Pavlov said.

"I am certain that we will be able to hear positive news very soon, because all the participants, all the governments and the ministries of transportation and railway organizations are working toward the single goal of launching the railway line as soon as possible," Pavlov added.