ArmInfo. Possibilities of cooperation in Iran-Armenia railway project are being studied, China's Ambassador to Armenia Tian Erlong told journalists on February 19.
There are Chinese companies, which are interested in studying opportunities for cooperation on this project, the Ambassador said.
Erlong also gave positive assessment to the current level of cooperation between Armenia and China especially in humanitarian field. Among the most attractive fields of cooperation he mentioned culture and education. "We have done a lot and we can do more", the Ambassador noted.
In May 2012 Armenia and Iran signed a concessionaire agreement under which the sides held discussions on the technical and economic grounding and the main tasks of projecting, construction and funding of the program. The construction is to be carried out within 6 years, the cost of the project is estimated 3.5 bln USD. The length of the road on the Armenian territory is 305 km, it will have 86 bridges of 19.6 km total mileage, as well as 60 tunnels of 102 km total mileage. The construction is to be finished in 2022.
It is anticipated that the annual freight activity on the railway route from Gagarin Station (Gegharkunik region) to Agarak (Syunik region) will total 25 million tons. This route is by 44 shorter than the earlier planned railway section Gavar-Agarak. It will be linked to the operating railway network. The launch of the Southern Railway of Armenia and Southern Highway of Armenia was announced in Jan 2013. Then the South Caucasus Railway of Armenia, Ministry of Transport and Communications of Armenia and Rasia FZE signed a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding.