Azerbaijan and Russia expect rail shipments of at least 15 mln tonnes on North-South int'l transport corridor by 2027

BAKU. Sept 7 (Interfax) - Azerbaijan and Russia expect that, by 2027 the volume of rail freight, including transit, via the North-South international transport corridor will be at least 15 million tonnes per year, a government source told Interfax.

"Given the importance of the North-South ITC, there is an understanding between Baku and Moscow that it is necessary to support the intensification of work on the preparation, coordination and signing of a bilateral agreement on the development of this corridor. In addition, both sides intend to cooperate to increase the carrying capacity of the corridor to at least 15 million tonnes per year in rail transit traffic by 2027, which includes capacity at border stations," the source said.

Azerbaijan and Russia will continue to work to eliminate infrastructural restrictions on the western North-South route in their territories in order to move an increasing volume of cargo transportation in this direction, the source said.

In addition, the railways of the two countries were instructed to synchronize their work on the transfer of sections of the Baku-Yalama-border with Russia (on the territory of Azerbaijan) and Derbent-Samur-border with Azerbaijan (on the territory of Russia) from direct to alternating electrical current.

Russia is interested in participating in railway infrastructure projects in Azerbaijan, including the reconstruction and modernization of railway sections which are part of the North-South ITC, he said.

"In addition, the Russian side is interested in supplying railway equipment to Azerbaijan Railways and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan," he said.

Earlier, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that transit cargo transportation via the North-South ITC via the territory of Azerbaijan in the future could reach 15-30 million tonnes per year.

The North-South transport corridor is designed to connect Northern Europe with Southeast Asia, and includes the integration of the railways of Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia.

Cargo turnover on the North-South corridor reached nearly 3 million tonnes in 2022.