Over 50 trains will pass Azerbaijan via TITR project in 2016
By Rashid Shirinov
Roughly 53 container trains are expected to move along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) moving from China to Baku, Tbilisi and Istanbul in 2016, Askar Mamin, the head of Kazakhstan Railways told Ekspress-K on June 3.
“Nomad Express container service was launched on the TITR, and pilot container trains from China to Azerbaijan, Turkey and backwards, and from Ukraine to China were organized. It is scheduled to set up to 53 container trains on the China-Baku, China-Tbilisi and China-Istanbul routes in 2016. The routes will pass through Kazakhstan,” Mamin noted.
Moreover, container trains from the Baltic countries to Central Asia, Kazakhstan and China are expected to be launched soon. The cargo will be carried through the Black sea ports, with integration to Nomad Express container service.
Mamin said that optimal transit corridors on Kazakhstan-China-Europe-China, North-South routes and TITR were organized. The general potential of traffic on these corridors is expected to reach 2 million twenty-foot containers per year by 2020.
TITR is designed to provide transport connections between the East and West of Eurasia. It will enable the countries to reduce the costs of international cargo transportation.
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route intends to become the most efficient way of economic connection of the continent's two sides. It will transport approximately 300,000-400,000 containers by 2020, enriching Azerbaijani income.
TITR runs through China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and then to Europe via Turkey and Ukraine. The first test container train on route Shihezi (China)-Dostyk-Aktau-Alat, arrived in Baku international sea trade port on August 3, 2015.
Growing interest in the transport infrastructures passing through Azerbaijan's territory is expected to make the country a major transport hub in the region. Locating in the center of this route, Azerbaijan is keen to create favorable conditions to increase the importance of the project.
In order to increase the transportation volume through the route, in May, delegations of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Ukraine signed a protocol providing competitive preferential tariffs on the Trans-Caspian route. The tariffs came into force from June 1.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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