Armenian government still reviewing principles for managing a future railway to Iran
26.02.2015,
16:58
The Armenian government on Thursday postponed for two months the deadline for the ministry of transport and communications to present the principles and mechanisms for management of a railway that is to be built from Iran to Armenia.
YEREVAN, February 26. / ARKA /. The Armenian government on Thursday postponed for two months the deadline for the ministry of transport and communications to present the principles and mechanisms for management of a railway that is to be built from Iran to Armenia.
Transport and communications minister Gagik Beglaryan said the deadline was postponed because the government was still reviewing the principles and mechanisms in questions.
A provisional program for the construction of the railway was approved by the government last August.
In 2012, the Dubai-based Rasia FZE Investment Company was granted a 50-year concession by the Armenian government to build and manage the 305-kilometer railway from Armenia to Iran, to be named the Southern Armenian Railway (SAR).
By late 2013 Rasia FZE developed a feasibility study for the project. This project is estimated to cost $3.5 billion. The high cost is explained by mountainous terrain through which it is supposed to pass. Specifically, the 306 km-long railway will have 19.6 km-long 64 bridges and 60 tunnels of 102.3 kilometers.
The railway is to run from Gagarin station in Armenia’s Gegharkunik province to Agarak in southern Syunik and may transport up to 25 million cargos a year.
According to an Armenian government statement, the Southern Armenia Railway will create the shortest transportation route from the ports of the Black Sea to the ports of the Persian Gulf and establish a major commodities transit corridor between Europe and the Persian Gulf region.” .-0-
