BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 1. Cooperation on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway line is expanding, a source in Azerbaijan Railways CJSC (ADY) told Trend.
As part of the Transport Week held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, ADY Chairman Rovshan Rustamov, General Director of Georgian Railways JSC Lasha Abashidze, and General Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors of TCDD Transport, Turkish State Railways, Ufuk Yalcin, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the organization of freight transportation via the BTK railway line.
Under this document, the parties agreed to increase the competitiveness of the BTK route compared to other transport corridors, attract additional cargo flows to this route with optimized delivery times, apply competitive tariffs that ensure stable conditions for cargo transportation, and establish transparent prices.
"The goal is to create a stable and predictable operating regime along the BTK route, improve conditions for cargo owners and increase the volume of transportation, and it was emphasized that compliance with delivery times is a key element of the attractiveness of the BTK route for shippers," the source said.
According to the agreement, the delivery time (excluding customs and border procedures) in the Alat-Boyuk Kesik and Gardabani-Akhalkalaki sections was set at no more than 24 hours, and in the Yalama-Boyuk Kesik section at no more than 48 hours.
This period was set at no more than 60 hours in the Kars-Mersin section in Türkiye, and at no more than 70 hours in the Kars-Istanbul section, which will allow cargo to be delivered from Alat to Mersin in four and a half days.
In the event of deviations from the standard delivery times, the parties will inform each other and take measures to restore the schedule.
Transportation tariffs on the BTK route have also been determined on the basis of mutual agreements.
The document prioritizes the possibility of implementing a joint digital platform or interface for cargo tracking and document management.
Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel