Azerbaijan starts to eliminate bottlenecks in Middle Corridor

Completion of repair work at the Alat railway station in Azerbaijan is scheduled for this year, Report informs referring to CJSC Azerbaijan Railways.

"The implementation of the project is aimed at ensuring the safe movement of trains on the Baku - Boyuk-Kasik railway line, as well as eliminating the existing bottleneck on the Middle Corridor (TITR, Trans-Caspian International Transport Route)," the company noted.

To date, as part of the development and improvement of the efficiency of TITR, the construction of the Kazakhstan terminal in the port of Xi'an (PRC) and work to modernize and increase the capacity of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway line have been completed, the construction of second tracks on the Dostyk - Moyynty railway section, a railway line bypassing Almaty, as well as a container terminal in the port of Poti, the launch of which is scheduled for this year, has begun. In addition, by mid-2025, it is planned to build a container hub in the port of Aktau, as well as the acquisition by the Kazakh side of its own ferries that will run between the ports of Kuryk and Baku.

In Azerbaijan, the construction of the second phase of the Baku port is underway, the capacity of the dry cargo berth and port stations is being increased, and it is also planned to attract a fleet of wagons for the railways of Azerbaijan, and the modernization of railways on the Alat-Boyuk-Kasik section is actively underway.

The Georgian side has completed work on the modernization of the pass railway and by the end of 2025 plans to purchase additional locomotives, which are also designed to increase the capacity on the route.

The Middle Corridor is an international transport corridor connecting China and European countries through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The Association provides the necessary information support, facilitates the simplification of administrative procedures, creates a competitive environment and ensures maximum efficiency for participants from different countries, including those not geographically located directly on the TITR.

The volume of cargo transportation on the TITR in 2024 increased by 62%, reaching 4.5 million tons. In 2025, the transportation of 5.2 million tons is forecast, of which 4.2 million tons will go along the line of the TITR member countries. Of this volume, 2.5 million tons will be dry cargo (96,000 TEU), and 1.7 million tons will be oil. By 2027, the route's throughput capacity may reach 10 million tons.