ADY prioritizes development of North-South Corridor: Progress at Iran’s Astara Terminal discussed

During his visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran, Rovshan Rustamov, Chairman of “Azerbaijan Railways” CJSC, a subsidiary of AZCON Holding, met with Jabbar Ali Zakiri, Head of the Iranian Railways, at the Astara Terminal.

The meeting focused on key stages and implementation timelines related to the development of the terminal, as well as the completion of ongoing construction works by the end of this year.

It was noted that significant progress has been made in the construction of the Astara Terminal, located on the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is one of the key elements of the North-South International Transport Corridor. Approximately 90% of the terminal’s design work and around 75% of the construction and installation work have been completed. The Strategic Cooperation Plan on the implementation of the “Construction and Operation Agreement of the Astara Terminal,” signed between Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) and Iranian Railways at the beginning of 2025, is expected to accelerate the timely completion of the works planned at the terminal.

The Astara Terminal will facilitate the increase in freight volumes and ensure the efficient execution of operations along the North-South International Transport Corridor.

It should be noted that, based on an agreement reached between the governments of Azerbaijan and Iran, construction of the Astara Terminal began in 2017. The terminal, constructed by Azerbaijan Railways (ADY), is located on land leased to Azerbaijan by the Iranian government for a period of 25 years.

In 2023, more than 692,000 tons of cargo were transshipped through the Astara Terminal, and in 2024, this figure exceeded 777,000 tons. Once the construction of the terminal is fully completed, its annual transshipment capacity is expected to reach 3.5 million tons.