BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 14. The reconstruction of the Alat-Osmanli-Astara railway line project commenced in 2024, covering a total length of 245 kilometers along its axis, Azerbaijan Railways CJSC told Trend.
In a statement to the agency, the CJSC shared details about the ongoing project, highlighting that construction is expected to be completed by 2028.
"The project is being implemented in four stages. The first stage covers the Aleyat-Osmanly section, which spans sixty kilometers. This stage includes seventy-seven artificial engineering structures, including three railway bridges and three road overpasses, as well as the construction of drainage pipes of various sizes and animal crossings. The first stage also involves the reconstruction of three stations (New Alat-Osmanli-Astara).
Construction continues on a ground-level road bridge located at the first kilometer of the road, with concrete work on the bridge already finished. The current focus is on relocating underground lines that are impeding the construction of side tracks. Piling works have commenced on a railway bridge located at the 12th kilometer, and work is ongoing.
The pile foundation operations have reached completion for an additional road bridge situated at the sixtieth kilometer mark, while the process of relocating subterranean and aerial utility lines is actively in progress to support the ongoing construction activities.
Fifty percent of the existing railway has been dismantled as part of the first stage, and work continues.
The second stage has seen the completion of a bridge across the Kura River. Design work for other stages of the project is still in progress," the CJSC said.
Notably, the Alat-Osmanli-Astara railway line is a crucial part of the North-South international transport corridor. In 2024, Azerbaijan significantly expanded its cooperation with neighboring countries and international financial institutions to enhance the strategic importance of this corridor. In December 2024, Azerbaijan and Russia signed an agreement to cooperate on the North-South corridor to develop transit freight transport, including railways, and this agreement was recently approved by a decree from the President of Azerbaijan.
The agreement aims to establish conditions for cooperation on the development of railway infrastructure and transit transport, as well as to boost the potential of the western route of the North-South corridor. Cooperation under this agreement will stimulate the attraction of new cargo for rail transport and balance the growth rates of freight volumes and railway infrastructure development.
Azerbaijani Railways has completed the reconstruction of the Astara freight terminal in Azerbaijan in 2024 to carry out the growing volumes of freight transportation along this corridor faster and more efficiently. The terminal has been modernized to meet contemporary standards, and it is now equipped with the necessary equipment and surveillance cameras. Additionally, a customs control point has been created, equipped with scales and high-speed internet.
Alongside this, work is expected to conclude by the end of 2025 at the terminal located in the Iranian city of Astara. The South Cargo Terminal LLC, responsible for managing both Astara terminals in Azerbaijan and Iran, plans to expand its operations.
The terminal offers new opportunities for freight forwarding companies by providing multimodal transport services with preferential tariffs for handling cargo. This development is expected to increase transit freight traffic through the North-South corridor by 10 to 15 percent by the end of the year.
Transit freight volumes through Azerbaijan along the North-South corridor amounted to 814,000 tons in 2024, a 28 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023.
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