First freight trains were launched along the multimodal route Central Asia – Transcaucasia

The first freight trains were launched along the multimodal route Central Asia - Transcaucasia. As the press service of the Company Uzbekiston Temir Yullari reported, a train of 49 tanks with fuel oil, formed at the Karasu Railway Station in Kyrgyzstan, crossed the territory of Uzbekistan in 33 hours, instead of the planned 36.

From Uzbekistan, the train will pass across Turkmenistan to the Caspian Sea, through the International Port of Turkmenbashy to Azerbaijan and further to the Port of Batumi in Georgia.

As of today, another freight train was sent to Batumi from Karasu, which included 48 tanks with fuel oil. Uzbekiston Temir Yullari specified that other trains are prepared for shipment to Azerbaijan and Georgia through this multimodal transit corridor.

The launch of the multimodal route Central Asia - Transcaucasia was preceded by a meeting of the heads of railway departments of Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan in Tashkent on December 19-20, when the parties agreed on the importance of developing the Asia-Pacific countries - China - Kyrgyzstan - Uzbekistan - Turkmenistan - Azerbaijan - Georgia - Europe and return international multimodal route.

The parties pointed out the necessity to develop common approaches to the accelerated passage of container trains and application of uniform tariffs, which will significantly increase trade between the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus, as well as other regions of Europe and Asia.

To get access to the European market, freight trains from Asia, upon arrival in Azerbaijan, will be transported through the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line, which was built in October 2017 under the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey interstate agreement.

Nury AMANOV