Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan aim to increase Middle Corridor cargo traffic to 12 million tonnes

The targets for the Caspian Bridge project envisage guaranteed annual cargo volumes of 8 million tonnes, with capacity expected to increase to 10–12 million tonnes in the future.

According to Report, citing Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport, the discussions took place at a meeting between Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev, Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Kazakhstan Alimirzamin Asgarov and AZCON Holding Executive Director Shahin Babayev.

The talks focused on the development prospects of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, and the progress of the Caspian Bridge project. Under the project concept, ferry crossings will become an extension of the railway network, allowing railcars to be transported without the need to unload and reload cargo.

During the Azerbaijani delegation's visit to Kazakhstan, AZCON Holding and Samruk-Kazyna JSC signed a cooperation agreement on the preparation and implementation of the project. In addition, Azerbaijan Railways CJSC and Kazakhstan Temir Zholy National Company JSC signed a document outlining the key terms for establishing a joint intermodal freight terminal at the Port of Alat.

The sides also discussed the development of joint terminal infrastructure, deeper industrial cooperation in locomotive and shipbuilding, improvements to tariff policies, and ways to reduce cargo transit times towards Europe.

Following the meeting, the participants noted that Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan relations are based on a strong foundation of mutual trust, stressing that strengthening the reliability and improving the efficiency of the Trans-Caspian Corridor remain key priorities.