Rovshan Rustamov: Middle Corridor gains importance as safe transit route across Eurasia

The Middle Corridor is increasingly becoming a vital alternative and secure transit route for countries located in the heart of Eurasia, Rovshan Rustamov, Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways (ADY), said at the 83rd meeting of CIS Railway Transport Council, Report informs.

Rustamov noted that joint decisions taken with international partners, along with unified technical and operational standards, play a crucial role in optimizing freight transport and efficiently utilizing transit potential. Coordinated action, he stressed, strengthens the resilience and competitiveness of the region's transport chain. "Digitalization of operations, centralized transit systems, and real-time cargo tracking are essential components of this process, and ADY is already implementing several innovative projects in these areas," he said.

Rustamov highlighted Azerbaijan's large-scale efforts in recent years to develop international transport corridors: "The Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway now serves as a reliable bridge between Europe and Asia, and after modernization, its capacity has increased from 1 million to 5 million tons per year. ADY continues infrastructure development to improve efficiency along the Middle Corridor, including successfully advancing the transition to alternating current on the key East–West route, the Baku–Boyuk Kesik line."

Rustamov added that ADY handled 317 block trains along the Middle Corridor in the first ten months of this year, including 119 transit trains-an increase of 32% compared with the same period last year.