The council sat under First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref, IRNA reported. Today Iran’s railway to Türkiye crosses at Razi, opposite Kapıköy, and the new line would instead connect through Iğdır, extending the Sarakhs to Tabriz route through Marand to Cheshmeh Soraya. Jabbar-Ali Zakeri, head of Iran’s railways, put the length at about 324 kilometres, Tasnim reported, with design speeds of 110 kilometres an hour for freight and 160 for passengers and a capacity of 15 to 20 million tonnes a year.
The work is split into three stages: the Khavaran to Tabriz connection, a second track between Tabriz and Marand, and the extension to Cheshmeh Soraya, followed by electrification, signalling and rolling stock. Loans and state resources are to cover the first stage, costed at about $1.8 billion. Tunnels take 15 kilometres, 9 near the start and 5 to 6 near Marand.
ISNA reported in October that a Turkish investor is to take 50 percent of the investment and that contract negotiations are nearing completion. Documents were exchanged in August. The next step is an engineering, procurement and construction contract, and construction is to begin within six months of the final contract.
Loans and state resources are to cover the first stage, costed at about $1.8 billion.
nCa files the project under the Turkmenistan, Iran and Türkiye rail corridor. Sarakhs is the Turkmen gateway to the Iranian network, and the Tabriz line is the one on which freight from that gateway would reach the Turkish border. The decision approved in Tehran covers the Iranian line to Cheshmeh Soraya.