BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 27. The opportunities of the modernized Baku-Tbilisi-Kars route were presented to Kazakh shippers at a joint meeting of KTZ and Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, Trend reports.
The relevant event was organized by the branch of KTZ (Freight Transportation) - Directorate of Integrated Planning and Azerbaijani Railways, and was attended by Kazakhstani shippers, representatives of industry associations, and NPP Atameken.
The main topic on the agenda was the capabilities of the modernized Baku-Tbilisi-Kars line (to be commissioned in spring 2024), the provision of rolling stock, as well as tariffs and the capacity of freight terminals.
Head of the Integrated Planning Directorate Vadim Kopylov expressed gratitude to his Azerbaijani counterparts for cooperation and emphasized that joint efforts to integrate railway networks, simplify customs procedures, and develop transport infrastructure contribute to a significant increase in trade turnover and strengthen economic ties between the countries.
“The dynamics of transportation between our railroads for seven months of this year—3.2 million tons of cargo, which is 37 percent higher than the same indicator for 2023 - is a confirmation of this. A total of 1.9 million tons were transported along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, 0.4 million tons more than in the seven months of last year,” Kopylov added.
Advisor to the Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC Emil Mammadov presented the capacity of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars line and its sections on the territory of three countries.
“The modernization of the route has allowed it to increase its capacity five times by now, from one to five million tons of cargo per year. This concerns the part of the corridor that runs through Azerbaijan and Georgia. Further, the relevant works will be carried out on the territory of Türkiye, which will allow increasing the specified volume of cargoes over time,” Mammadov added.
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