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Azerbaijan Railways acquire lands for new railway construction as part of INSTC

14 December 2018 12:37 (UTC+04:00)
Azerbaijan Railways acquire lands for new railway construction as part of INSTC

By Leman Mammadova

Azerbaijan Railways CJSC has been identified as an authority that will acquire land plots for state needs that fall under the construction of a railway line on the 56-kilometer Gasimly-Astara section of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

The decision was signed by Azerbaijani Prime Minister Novruz Mammadov, Trend reported.

According to the decision, Azerbaijan Railways Closed Joint-Stock Company was determined as an owner of the lands under the construction of a new railway line in the 56-kilometer Gasimli-Astara section of the North-South International Transport Corridor.

Azerbaijan Railways should carry out preparatory measures for the acquisition of land in accordance with the requirements of the Law on the Acquisition of Land for State Needs, and submit proposals in this regard to the Cabinet of Ministers.

Control over the implementation of this decision was entrusted to the Department for the Development of Regions, Agricultural and Environmental Issues of the Office of the Cabinet of Ministers.

The North-South transport corridor was established in 2000 within the Intergovernmental Agreement between Russia, Iran and India. The main purpose of the agreement is to increase the efficiency of transport communications in the organization of freight and passenger transportation, to create conditions for member states to enjoy the international rail, automobile, sea, river and air transport services, to assist in increasing the volume of international transportations. The project envisages connecting India with the Middle East and the Caucasus, Central Asia and Europe.

In total, 13 countries have ratified the Agreement. Azerbaijan joined this Agreement in 2005. The purpose of the corridor is to reduce the delivery time to three weeks from India to Russia, as well as to North and Western Europe as the current route takes more than six weeks.

Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia signed an agreement in 2005 on the construction of 375 km long Astara-Resht-Qazvin railway project envisages the construction of a new railway line in Iran, which will connect Astara, Azerbaijan to the Iranian cities of Astara, Rasht and Qazvin as well as the reconstruction of an existing railway in Azerbaijan.

The railway between Astara regions of Azerbaijan and Iran has been already completed. Qazvin-Rasht part of railway has been launched in November. The construction of the Rasht-Astara railway will be completed in two years.

The expected volume of cargo on the corridor passing through the territory of Azerbaijan is 3 million tons at the first, 5-8 million tons at the second and 15 million tons at the third stage.

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