IRNA � The Astara-Astara railway, a rail route linking the port city of Astara in northern Iran to the Astara city in the Republic of Azerbaijan, is expected to be launched in two months, said an Iranian railway official.

'The Astara-Astara railway will be officially launched in the [Iranian Calendar]month of Farvardin (March 21 to April 20) at a ceremony attended by officials from Iran and the neighboring Azerbaijan Republic,' Abbas Nazari, Head of the International Affairs Department of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways said Saturday evening.

'For technical appraisal of the railway route, a pilot cargo train from Russia's St. Petersburg will soon enter the Astara dock railway station,' Nazari said.

He said that the Astara-Astara railway will also have commercial use.

'Preliminary talks have been conducted between Iranian, Azeri and Russian railway officials for a passenger train to go all the way from Astara in Azerbaijan to Moscow,' he said.

'The regional countries are well-aware of the significant railway project and both Russia and the Republic of Azerbaijan insist the completion of the project as soon as possible,' Nazari said.

The Iranian railway official also said that even the European countries are eager to use the rail route to transfer their commodities.