BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28. The World Bank has identified priority projects for the development of the Middle Corridor in Azerbaijan.
This was stated in the World Bank report “Integration: World-Class Trade Logistics along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor.”
According to the report, the list includes projects for the modernization and further expansion of the Baku–Alat–Boyuk Kasik railway line, as well as the creation of a national network of dry ports.
The first project involves completing the ongoing modernization of the Baku–Alat–Boyuk Kasik railway line. The bank notes that this line forms the backbone of the Middle Corridor within Azerbaijan. Modernization work is currently underway, including the implementation of a new electrification system and the upgrading of signaling systems.
The estimated cost of the project is $260 million. The project is currently being implemented and is classified as a short-term investment priority; private sector participation is not envisaged.
The second priority area is the development of a national network of dry ports. The project entails establishing new dry ports near the Boyuk-Kasik border crossing to serve the Black Sea and Turkish segments of the Middle Corridor; in Baku, to act as an extended gateway for the Baku port and support the Middle Corridor; and a southern logistics hub to support the proposed new Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) alignment running through Azerbaijan and Armenia to Kars.
The estimated cost of the project is $300 million. It is currently at the pre-feasibility study stage, falls within the short-term horizon, and envisages private sector participation alongside Azerbaijan Railways CJSC.
The third project involves increasing the future capacity of the Baku–Alat–Boyuk Kasik railway line.
According to World Bank estimates, further expansion and modernization of the line will likely be required in the 2030s to accommodate growing traffic volumes along the Middle Corridor.
The estimated cost of the project is $600 million. It’s at the pre-feasibility study stage and is classified as a medium-term investment project. No private sector participation is envisaged.
Thus, the total estimated investment for the three aforementioned projects amounts to $1.16 billion.
