ArmInfo. Iranian specialists have been invited to Armenia to hold discussions on the project of construction of Iran-Armenia railway, Iran's Ambassador to Armenia Seyed Kazzem Sajjadi told journalists on May 26 at the opening of the International Oriental Scientific Conference "Persian Literature and History".
Touching upon the recent meeting of the energy ministers of Armenia, Georgia, Iran and Russia Ambassador expressed hope that such meetings will lead to growth of interest towards the implementation of Iran-Armenia railway project in Iran. "We hope to attract Iranian side's attention and become part of the project", he added.
To recall, in December 2014General Director of the South Caucasus Railway CJSC Viktor Rebets informed that the South Caucasus Railway CJSC plans to become operator of the Iran-Armenia railway. The negotiations on the project have been held for several years. The railway will provide Armenia with an access to the Persian Gulf and to the Central Asian markets via Iran. At the moment Armenia's railway communication with the external world is blocked by Turkey and Azerbaijan. Currently Armenia has railway communication only with Georgia.
The estimated cost of the project is $3.5bn. According to the presented project the construction will 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 a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the South Caucasus Railway of Armenia, Ministry of Transport and Communications of Armenia and Rasia FZE.