Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are considering a project for the construction of next-generation ferries capable of transporting up to 120 railway cars simultaneously.
Sea-news.az reports that this was stated by Kasym Tlepov, Deputy Chairman of the Railway and Water Transport Committee of the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan, during an online event organized by the World Bank Group titled “Middle Corridor: The Next Phase.”
According to Tlepov, due to the limited capacity of ferries currently used in freight transport between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, it is necessary to split train configurations.
Vessels currently operated by ASCO for ferry transport can carry a maximum of 44 railcars. Consequently, train compositions are divided into sections: 44 railcars are loaded onto a ferry at the Port of Kuryk and transported to Alat, after which the next ferry returns to Kuryk to pick up the remaining 15–20 cars. During this time, the initial 44 railcars must wait at the Port of Alat, reducing overall transport efficiency.
Tlepov noted that the parties are evaluating the feasibility of constructing new ferries capable of transporting two full train compositions simultaneously.
According to him, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are preparing a project for the construction of ferries with a capacity of up to 120 railcars. The deployment of these new ferries will ensure continuous transit operations, reduce port cargo handling times by approximately three times, and accelerate overall delivery speeds across the corridor.
Tlepov also stated that Kazakhstan intends to expand private sector involvement in maritime transport through a financial leasing program.
He added that preferential financing mechanisms will enable private businesses to invest in acquiring vessels for maritime operations. Consequently, shipping activities will be conducted not only by Kazakhstan’s “Kazmortransflot” and Azerbaijan’s “ASCO,” but also by private enterprises.
