BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 8. In order to further increase the transport and transit potential of Kazakhstan, including through the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR - Middle Corridor), it is planned to implement a number of infrastructure projects both on the railway and in seaports, a source at Kazakhstan Railways told Trend.
"Key among them is the construction of second railway tracks on the Dostyk-Moyinty section and the development of a bypass railway line at the Almaty station. Another pivotal project involves creation of an international container hub at the Aktau Port by 2025. The hub aims to facilitate efficient cargo delivery from various modes of transport, including road and rail," said the source.
The company said the project is planned to be implemented in the format of a joint venture with a potential investor. At the moment, within the boundaries of the Seaport Aktau Special Economic Zone (SEZ), a land plot of 19 hectares has been reserved for the placement of hub facilities. The term for the development of the feasibility study is the fourth quarter of 2023.
Furthermore, it was noted that the participants of the TITR are taking measures to establish a seamless transit process. For example, unified pricing principles were formulated, streamlining pricing mechanisms across the corridor. Moreover, in December 2022, a container shuttle train service was launched with a fixed schedule between Altynkol (Kazakhstan) and Poti/Batumi (Georgia), enhancing the efficiency of cargo transport along the route.
"In order to synchronize operations between the participants of TITR, Kazakhstan Railways, together with the Ministry of Transport of Azerbaijan, created a virtual dispatch center for planning and coordinating traffic, which improves the inter-country exchange of information on the movement of goods," said the company.
In 2022, the volume of freight transport along the TITR witnessed a 2.5-fold increase, reaching 1.5 million tons. The surge continued in 2023, with freight volume for January through June surging by 77 percent compared to the same period last year, totaling 1.3 million tons.