BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 6. Cargo transportation along the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) from January through May 2023 significantly increased, Trend reports.
According to the materials of Russian Railways OJSC, this figure amounted to four million tons, an increase of 41.8 percent on an annual basis.
The main share fell on the western route connecting Russia with Iran through Azerbaijan - 3.6 million tons (an increase of 37.9 percent).
Besides, the dynamics along other corridors were higher, but the volume of freight traffic decreased. So, 353,500 tons were transported along the eastern route through Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan (an increase of 80.3 percent), along the Trans-Caspian route - 117,700 tons (an increase of 80.5 percent).
Most of the volume of cargo traffic fell on the western route, where enough railway infrastructure hasn't been built yet.
In the eastern and trans-Caspian directions, growth exceeds 80 percent, but volumes are still relatively small. Continued growth in demand in the Iranian direction is expected, until the completion of the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway.
According to some estimates, in 2023 the cargo traffic on the eastern route of INSTC will exceed one million tons, and in 2025 it's expected to reach five-seven million tons.