Starovoit announced the start of exploration work on the Rasht–Astara railway section

Engineering and geological surveys on the last necessary section of the Rasht–Astara western North–South railway have begun, Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit told Izvestia.

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"We are conducting engineering geological surveys. We have agreed on this, and the contractors have started surveys. Before starting construction, it is necessary to carry out this work," said the head of the Ministry of Transport.

Earlier, the head of the Iranian diplomatic mission in Moscow, Kazem Jalali, reported that the Rasht–Astara railway could be built no earlier than in three to four years.

In 2023, Russia and Iran agreed within the framework of the North–South project on the construction of a 160-kilometer section of the Rasht–Astara road between Azerbaijan and Iran, which will provide seamless access to the ports of the Persian Gulf.