As part of the TURKUAZ project, container express transfers will begin through the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway.
ADY Container developed the new logistic route with its Georgian and Turkish partners.
Cargos will be transported from Istanbul to Baku and Mersin to Baku. The company declares that the new project will support the flow of cargo on the BTK railway.
“To attract extra cargos and improve the trading level at the BTK hub, we hold regular bilateral and multilateral meetings. A while ago, a video conference was held between the Azerbaijani and Russian railways officials where imports, exports, and transit cargos’ transfer issues were discussed. More beneficial conditions and tariffs for the cargo transfer were also discussed,’’ ADY Container press speaker Balakhan Nazarov says.
BTK opened on October 30, 2017. The railway route connects the railroad networks of Asia and Europe. It is the shortest route not among only three countries, but between Asia and Europe. BTK allows you to reduce the goods transportation time. The railway supports the entry of the Central Asian countries – Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kirgizstan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan in the European and world markets. The total length of BTK is 846 km. Azerbaijan includes a 504 km railway, Georgia – 263 km, while Turkey contains 79 km of the railway line.
The BTK railway is considered far more beneficial for transferring cargo than – standard shipping by sea, but this railway operates still in a test mode. Experts say that the test-mode operation reduces the benefits offered by the railway, and Georgia also loses incomes. The BTK railway will allegedly be commissioned by the end of 2022. Currently, it hosts only cargo transfers. It is banned to ship high-risk cargos via BTK, namely – oil products. The BTK railway transfers only container and bulk cargo. Despite operating in a test mode, the flow of the loads tends to increase. The BTK railway passed 2,500 tonnes of freight in 2017, while in 2020, this volume equaled 252,000 tonnes.
Passenger moves are also on the agenda once the construction is over and the railroad obtains all the standard certificates.
