BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 13. The European Union (EU) has proposed launching a pilot intermodal freight service in Georgia to connect the Port of Poti with the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway and facilitate the westward transportation of export cargo, according to a study prepared by Georgian research company ACT LLC with support from the EU and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
According to the study, the initiative entails establishing a small intermodal terminal, or utilizing existing infrastructure, at the ports of Poti or Batumi, where containers could be transshipped from vessels to trains.
Container trains carrying Georgian export goods were also proposed to be operated along the BTK railway toward the EU, with rail transport schedules coordinated to align with maritime shipping timetables.
Georgian Railway, in collaboration with port operators, is envisioned to play a leading role in implementing the project. The initiative could be coordinated by the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia.
The study noted that consolidating rail shipments could reduce transportation costs for large consignments of goods from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) along specific routes.
Moreover, utilizing rail transport would provide an alternative route in the event of disruptions to ferry or road services. The proposed measure also involves leveraging available spare capacity within the railway infrastructure for export shipments, although this share may be limited during the initial phase.
