Azerbaijan tackles bottlenecks in Middle Corridor
Completion of Repair Work at Alat Railway Station in Azerbaijan Set for This Year
The Alat railway station in Azerbaijan is undergoing repair work, with completion scheduled for this year. The project aims to ensure the safe movement of trains on the Baku – Boyuk-Kasik railway line and eliminate existing bottlenecks on the Middle Corridor (TITR, Trans-Caspian International Transport Route), according to CJSC Azerbaijan Railways.
As part of the development and improvement of the efficiency of TITR, various projects have been completed or initiated. These include the construction of the Kazakhstan terminal in the port of Xi’an (PRC), modernization and capacity increase of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway line, second track construction on the Dostyk – Moyynty railway section, and the construction of a railway line bypassing Almaty. Additionally, a container terminal in the port of Poti is set to launch this year, and plans are in place to build a container hub in the port of Aktau by mid-2025.
In Azerbaijan, ongoing projects include the construction of the second phase of the Baku port, capacity increase of the dry cargo berth and port stations, and the modernization of railways on the Alat-Boyuk-Kasik section. The Georgian side has completed work on the modernization of the pass railway and plans to purchase additional locomotives by the end of 2025 to increase capacity on the route.
The Middle Corridor serves as an international transport corridor connecting China and European countries through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The volume of cargo transportation on the TITR increased by 62% in 2024, reaching 4.5 million tons. It is forecasted that in 2025, transportation will reach 5.2 million tons, with a projected throughput capacity of 10 million tons by 2027.
Overall, these developments aim to enhance connectivity and efficiency in the transportation of goods along the Middle Corridor, benefiting various countries involved in the TITR.
