Azerbaijan continues transporting large cargo volumes via Baku-Tbilisi-Kars

By Azernews

By Rasana Gasimova

ADY Express LLC, a subsidiary of ”Azerbaijan Railways ” CJSC, continues to transport large-sized transit cargoes using the opportunities created by the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway.

This time, ADY Express, jointly with Russian ”First Transport Logistics Company” appointed by the Magnitogorsk Metallurgical Plant (MMK) –and partner company in Georgia “GR Logistics and terminals” managed to transport large-sized cargo-steel plates, owned by the MMC. The volume of cargo transported was 2232 tons or 36 wagons.

According to the agreement, the cargo sent from Russian Magnitogorsk-Cargo station passed through Azerbaijan and was delivered to the Georgia’s Alkhalkalaki station. From the station, the cargo was transshipped to the wagons belonging to Turkey, and then transported from Kars to Turkey’s Payas station.

Thus, the freight train traveled about 5,000 km in 17 days, passing through Russia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, reaching Kars and then Turkey’s Payas station. The cooperation with the Magnitogorsk Metallurgical Plant will continue. A larger volume of cargo is planned to be transported via the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway.

The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is a project that has been under constant control of the presidents of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly stressed the importance of this transport corridor. He said that the initiators of the railway - Georgia and Turkey - could have expanded their mutual trade turnover even without it. However, this railway is required to connect Asia with Europe, as it is the shortest transportation route.

The North-South Transport Corridor which is designed to connect Northern Europe with Southeast Asia, including the railways of Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia plays a major role in it. The coverage of the transport corridor is impressive - it is multi-mode network of ship, rail, and road route for moving freight between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.

Currently, there are several routes from East to Europe pass through the territory of Azerbaijan. Among such projects are the International North-South Transport Corridor, which is constructed to transport goods from India and the Persian Gulf countries to Russia, Western Europe, the Baltic and Scandinavian countries.

Moreover, being a part of the East-West Corridor, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which is built at the initiative of Azerbaijan, allows supplying cargo to Europe. Another example is the Lapis Lazuli corridor, which runs from Afghanistan to Azerbaijan, Turkey and further to Europe.