TEHRAN - The Tabriz-Azarshahr railway signaling project, which is the first joint venture between Iran and Russia in this sector, will be inaugurated in the near future, an official with the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways stated. The railway, to the length of 46 kilometers, is located in the northwest of Iran, Abbas Nazari said, adding that the project started in 2008 and cost around €8 million, the IRNA News Agency reported.  The Iranian roads and urban development minister said on Sunday that the national Iranian railway network may be linked with Russia once the proposed Ardabil-Pars Abad railway project in northwest of Iran comes on stream.  Studies related to the project have been completed and construction operations will be started in the near future, Ali Nikzad added, the ISNA News Agency reported.  The railway may be connected to Azerbaijan’s network and then extended into Russia and Europe, he noted. c_330_235_16777215_0___images_stories_edim_04_rail(1).jpg

Meanwhile, on September 9 the Gorgan-Incheh Borun railway, which is projected to link Iran with Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, started to be built.  Ahmad Sadeqi, the managing director of Construction and Development of Transportation Infrastructure Company of Iran, told the Mehr news agency that the railway, a joint venture by Iran, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan, will be completed within four months.  The Islamic Republic of Iran Railways managing director Abdolali Saheb-Mohammadi has said that the national railroad network of Iran is now linked with Syrian and Turkish networks and is also connected with Turkmenistan via Sarakhs.