As part of Transport Week, which began on 30 September 2025 in Almaty (Kazakhstan), the heads of the railways of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at increasing the competitiveness of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) line, which is an important part of the Middle Transport Corridor.
The document provides for an increase in cargo traffic via the BTK line by optimising delivery times, setting competitive tariffs, ensuring stable transport conditions and a transparent pricing system.
A key factor in the attractiveness of the BTK is to be the adherence to declared transport times, which will enable cargo to be delivered from the Caspian port of Alat (Azerbaijan) to the Mediterranean port of Mersin (Turkey) within 4.5 days. Within Turkey, the journey time for trains on the Kars-Mersin route will not exceed 60 hours, and on the Kars-Istanbul route – 70 hours. In the event of deviations from the agreed deadlines, the parties undertake to take measures to restore the schedule.
Another priority area for joint action is the implementation of a common digital platform for cargo tracking and document exchange.
Also in Almaty, the heads of the railways of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia signed a roadmap for removing bottlenecks on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TMTM), which is part of the Middle Corridor. The plan provides for infrastructure development, rolling stock modernisation and optimisation of operational procedures. Key objectives include establishing a uniform, long-term tariff for the entire TMTM route and increasing its capacity.
