Caspian Energy (CE): Azerbaijan is marking the 25-year anniversary of its independence. October 13 is the professional holiday of railway workers. What success could they emphasize on the eve of these significant dates?
Javid Gurbanov, Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC: Nowadays Azerbaijan is on the threshold of the 25-year anniversary of its state independence. There have been many changes throughout this period in the life of the country under the leadership of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and his successor President Ilham Aliyev. Multiple important projects concerning steel highways of the country were introduced. Without going into history, which the Caspian Energy readership is perfectly aware of, I can say that the last two years alone will certainly be marked in history of the railway sector as a stage of big changes. It is necessary to note that the era of introduction of new technologies meeting requirements of the most advanced standards started during this period as well. Based on the state program of the railway transportation system development, the work on transfer of power supply from direct to alternate current, acquisition of equipment for reconstruction of communication and signaling systems, recovery of the road industry, renewal of the locomotive and wagon fleet, was carried out. It resulted in bringing the railways to conformity with the modern requirements.
Azerbaijan has reached its golden age owing to the successful policy of President Ilham Aliyev. Introduced reforms and broad-scale infrastructure projects created all necessary conditions for sustainable social-economic development. All of it in general caused the increase of visits paid to our countries by foreign citizens.
It was necessary to reconstruct the Baku passenger terminal, considered the entrance door of the capital, in order to meet the modern requirements. High speed work is currently underway at the passenger terminal. The facade and the architectural style of the passenger terminal will be kept in the course of the reconstruction. Broad-scale changes will be made inside of the building itself. Booking offices, left-luggage offices, passenger platforms will be overhauled in a modern style. Old escalators will be replaced. Renovation operations are already at stage of completion.
Passenger density and jams between Baku and Sumgayit cities aroused the necessity to restore the connection between these cities which used to exist before. This work required a capital repair of the railways.
Capital repair of main roads with the length of 63km started at the passenger section Baku-Khyrdalan-Sumgayit on March 3, 2015 and ended on September 2. Based on the project, station roads and passenger station points of Baku, Keshla, Khyrdalan and Sumgayit were renewed. Platform gates and pos-terminals were installed at passenger stations of Baku and Sumgayit.
In May of the last year we signed an agreement about acquisition of 5 two-floor electrified trains (KISS) produced by Stadler Rail Group. All these trains have already been delivered to Baku. The launch of the first passenger train for Baku-Sumgayit route took place with the participation of President Ilham Aliyev at Baku passenger station on September 12.
CE: What kind of work is being performed to develop the East-West and North-South rail corridors?
Javid Gurbanov: Azerbaijan Railways CJSC is actively involved in different international projects and therefore is strongly committed to their implementation. The accelerated work is currently underway to ensure a connection of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which is one of the grandiose infrastructure projects of the XXI century. It connects the three countries and the three nations and at the same time it is a bridge between dozens of countries and nations. The ongoing work on connecting the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which is also called the “Iron Silk Road”, will be completed at the end of this year. The commissioning is scheduled for the beginning of the next year.
The North-South international transport corridor is another international transport project, which is also highly prioritised by Azerbaijan. The work carried out to ensure a growth of the country’s transit potential necessitates fostering of the ongoing operations within this corridor at the section going through our country. The President of Azerbaijan signed the relevant decree in December 2015. By now all efforts have been mobilised to fulfill these tasks.
On April 20, 2016 the groundbreaking ceremony for an 82.5-meter railway bridge over the Astarachay River was held at the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran.
Laying the ground for construction of a new single-track railway from the Astara station to the border with Iran was started at the corridor’s section going via Azerbaijan. Construction of a new 8.3 km railway was commenced early in September. Of this, 5 kilometres have been already laid.
According to the forecasts, the full-load operation of the North-South international transport corridor will enable the European countries, Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus region to reach India through the Persian Gulf. At the same time it will create conditions for improved trade ties of the Caspian countries through the Black Sea ports. Construction of the railway and the bridge is scheduled to be completed until the end of 2016.
Azerbaijan is currently taking new steps to improve the country’s transit potential. In recent years the work has been fostered along the Trans-Caspian international transport route (TCITR). On August 3, 2015 the first test container train Nomand Express moving along the Shihezi (China)-Dostyk-Aktau-Alyat Port route arrived in the Baku International Sea Trade Port. The arrival of the first container train from China was carried out through the efforts of the Coordination Committee on the Development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. This committee brings together the transport and logistics companies of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Turkey and China, including Aktau, Poti and Batumi ports. As of today, four trains have already been dispatched along this route.
Later Ukraine joined this route, and two more trains were dispatched along the route. Once commissioned in the near future, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway will enable to dispatch container trains from China directly to Europe and the Mediterranean Sea.
In addition, on 13 May 2016 Baku hosted the meeting of representatives of the partner companies within the Viking project, whereupon the Protocol on Azerbaijan Railways CJSC’s joining the Viking project was signed. The project involves Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine, and provides for shipment of goods between countries of the Baltic and Black Seas. Azerbaijan’s participation in this project promises great prospects. Since Viking has the access to the Caspian Sea it will enable to send freights in any direction, i.e. to eastwards (Central Asia and China) and also southwards (the Persian Gulf and India), and at the same time in opposite directions.
CE: Which changes are introduced with the purpose to improve infrastructure of railways?
Javid Gurbanov: Capital repair of railroads is one of the major components of the reconstruction carried out by Azerbaijan Railways CJSC.
In this regard, bilateral meetings were held with the management of the company MORAVIA STEEL (The Czech Republic). A supplementary agreement for the deal “On material-technical supply and capital repair of a 600km long section of Baku-Boyuk Kasik railroad was signed”.
We started the following stage of repair operations in October of 2015 and today we have over 160km of railways capitally repaired.
A new facility for assembling switch units has been recently built within the territory of Sangachal production base. Shift of the power supply system of Baku-Boyuk Kasik route to the traction system with an alternate current will be carried out stage by stage. 12 new substations have already been built. The operations are currently at stage of completion. At the same time, installation of contact-line supporting structure and laying of contact lines are underway.
In March of 2015 Azerbaijani Railways CJSC signed an agreement with the Scientific and Production Corporation “Uralvagonzavod” named after F.Dzerzhinsky (Russian Federation) for reception of 3,100 different purpose freight wagons, which were delivered to the country within a short period of time. Meanwhile, capital repair of wagons with the expired service life has been commenced.
Important work on renewal of the fleet of locomotives has been recently carried out. An agreement for reception of 10 diesel-powered locomotives, which have already been delivered to our country from Kazakhstan, was signed.
4 continuous current electric locomotives have been purchased. They will be used for cargo transportation.
Electric locomotives have an electronic speed measuring device and a modern traction engine.
“ASAN qatar” system will be introduced in Azerbaijan in near future. The new system is expected to be launched by the end of this year.
Therefore, 3 special wagons are already being designed at Baku wagon depot due to the introduction of the “ASAN qatar” system. Wagons to be fully prepared by the end of 2016. “ASAN qatar” (ASAN service train) will provide service to the population by moving in the north, south, north-west and south-west directions in turns.
The train shall consist of three wagons at the initial stage. The wagons will be supplied with all the required equipment. All necessary conditions will be provided inside of wagons for work of “ASAN xidmət” employees.
One of the component parts of changes within the Azerbaijan Railways CJSC’s system is to overhaul the administrative building. Repairs are carried out in phases and in line with the modern standards.
The finalised works will contribute to renovation of the giant artery of railways, to modernisation and, ultimately, to boosting the railway freight volume, especially transit freight traffic, safe delivery of cargo and passengers to destinations. It will improve the level of services for the country’s population.
In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that the country’s railway workers are committed to ensuring the highest performance by the 25-year anniversary of the state independence and the Day of Railway Workers.
