BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 9. Uzbek Uztemiryolkonteyner and railway administrations from Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye signed a six-party protocol in Tashkent on Oct. 7–8 to advance the CASCA+ international multimodal transport route, focusing on increasing freight volumes, improving tariff conditions and reducing container delays along the corridor.
This was reflected in the statement by Uztemiryolkonteyner (UTK).
The talks focused on expanding freight transportation between Asia and Europe, improving the competitiveness of the CASCA+ route and making more effective use of the participating countries’ transit potential.
The sides reviewed current freight operations and prospects for further developing the corridor. Particular attention was paid to increasing cargo volumes and introducing competitive tariffs for transporting goods in refrigerated containers.
"Special attention was paid to the issues of increasing cargo flows, introducing competitive tariff conditions for the transportation of goods in refrigerated containers, ensuring the regular provision of fitting platforms throughout the route, as well as preventing long downtime of containers in ports," the statement said.
In addition, the discussions covered ensuring the regular availability of container flatcars along the entire route and preventing prolonged container delays at ports.
The six railway administrations signed a joint protocol outlining the agreements reached and identifying priority areas for further cooperation, according to the Uzbek side.
The measures are aimed at improving the efficiency of freight transportation, strengthening coordination among railway operators and enhancing the corridor’s ability to handle cargo moving between Asian and European markets.
The meeting forms part of broader regional efforts to strengthen multimodal transport links and improve the use of transit routes connecting Central Asia with the South Caucasus, Türkiye and Europe.
