First scheduled freight train from Russia reaches Iran’s Aprin dry port
It started about 900 kilometres north of Moscow and passed through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan before entering Iran via the Incheh Borun border
A freight train from Russia has arrived at Iran's Aprin dry port for the first time, Tehran Times reported.
The train carried 62 forty-foot containers of paper products, pulp, and related goods destined for Iran and Iraq.
It started about 900 kilometres north of Moscow and passed through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan before entering Iran via the Incheh Borun border. The 12-day journey is being seen as a milestone for the International North–South Transit Corridor (INSTC).
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INSTC officials said the operation required close coordination among railways, customs, freight forwarders, and cargo owners along the route.
Morteza Jafari, deputy head of commerce and operations at the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, said 30 freight trains have arrived at Aprin since June, when the first service from China reached the port. He added that Iran plans to expand such operations and become a regional hub for trade and transit within the CIS region.
Oleg Poleev, CEO of Russian Railways Logistics, said the Moscow–Bandar Abbas route, which previously took longer and cost more, now takes just 15 days thanks to cooperation among Iran, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan.
Earlier, on 3 November, Iran and Russia agreed to form a joint transport task force and launch a digital single window system to simplify customs procedures and boost trade.
