Moj News Agency, Iran
January 17, 2009 Saturday

Iran, Armenia to Establish a Joint Cross-border Railway

Iranian transport officials have held talks with their counterparts in
Armenia, with a view to build a cross-border rail line between the two
countries. Hassan Ziari, Iran`s deputy roads and transportation
minister, says he has discussed the construction of a 540-kilometre
line across the Armenian border in talks with Armenia`s deputy
transport minister. He adds that only 60km of new line would need to
be built on the Iranian side of the border, to connect it to the
existing Iranian rail network. The remaining 480km will be built on
the Armenian side, but Tehran is prepared to shoulder 25 per cent of
the total cost of the project. Ziari also says that Iran is willing to
sell or lend rolling stock to Armenia.