Iran has approved a funding framework for a railway project intended to complete a key link in the Turkmenistan–Iran–Türkiye rail corridor. Tehran expects the project to strengthen Iran’s transit capacity and expand regional trade and economic cooperation.
The Economic Council, chaired by First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref, has approved a funding mechanism for the construction of a double-track, electrified railway on the Khavaran–Tabriz–Marand–Cheshmeh Soraya route, Iran’s IRNA news agency reports.
Rail services between Iran and Türkiye currently operate through the Razi border crossing on the Iranian side and Kapıköy on the Turkish side. The planned line will reach the border farther north and connect with Türkiye’s railway network via Iğdır.
The proposed route will be approximately 324 km long, according to an earlier report by Tasnim, which cited Jabbar-Ali Zakeri, head of Iran Railways. The design speeds are 110 km/h for freight trains and 160 km/h for passenger services. Iran expects the line to carry between 15 million and 20 million tonnes of freight annually.
The project is designed to extend the railway route from Sarakhs, on Iran’s border with Turkmenistan, through Tabriz and Marand in northwestern Iran to Cheshmeh Soraya, near the Turkish border. The line is intended to link the eastern part of Iran’s railway network with a new connection to Türkiye, forming part of a wider east–west transport corridor.
The project is planned in three stages.
The first stage will complete the connection between Khavaran and Tabriz railway station, add a second track on the Tabriz–Marand section and extend the line to Cheshmeh Soraya. The Tabriz–Marand section requires not only a second track but also reconstruction, as some sections do not meet the standards needed to support higher train speeds.
Subsequent stages will include electrification, the installation of signalling systems and the provision of rolling stock.
Iran Railways estimates that the first stage will require around $1.8 billion. Funding could come from loans, state resources and other sources.
In October, Iran’s ISNA news agency reported, citing Zakeri, that negotiations on a contract with a Turkish investor were nearing completion. The investor is expected to take on 50% of the project’s investment share.
In August, Iran and Türkiye formally exchanged documents relating to an agreement on construction of the new railway. Following the exchange and the agreement on technical parameters, the next step is expected to be the signing of an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract.
Once the EPC contract is signed, the contractor will begin detailed design work on technically challenging sections of the route. Particular attention will be given to tunnelling, with around 15 km of tunnels planned, including a 9 km tunnel near the start of the route and a further 5–6 km of tunnels in the Marand area.
Under the agreement, physical construction work is due to begin within six months of the final contract being signed.
Iranian authorities see the project as an opportunity to expand rail freight flows between Central Asia, Iran and Türkiye, creating additional capacity for onward transport towards European markets.///nCa, 26 October 2026