Azerbaijan Railways strengthens open dialogue with shippers, discusses prospects for freight transportation development
Baku, November 3, AZERTAC
A meeting was held between the management of Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) and representatives of companies that account for a significant share of the country’s freight transportation volumes and maintain close cooperation with ADY.
According to Azerbaijan Railways, the meeting aimed to brief business partners on the organization’s activities and achievements in freight transportation, hear their proposals, identify common approaches, and discuss future prospects.
The ADY chairman highly praised the role of shippers in the development of the national economy and the transport and logistics sector.
It was emphasized that customer focus, openness, and transparency are among the key principles guiding ADY’s operations.
Recalling that individual meetings with cargo owners had previously been held, the chairman noted that this was the first meeting in this format involving the company’s major shippers in terms of freight volumes.
He stressed that the initiative demonstrated Azerbaijan Railways’ commitment to remaining open and accessible to its customers and fostering cooperation based on mutual trust.
During the meeting, participants were briefed on ADY’s projects to modernize freight transportation infrastructure and the reforms being implemented in the sector.
It was noted that reconstruction of the Sumgayit–Yalama railway line had been completed, with work to transition the line to an alternating current (AC) power supply system scheduled to begin in the next phase.
Construction work at the Astara Terminal has also been completed, while the modernization of power supply, communications, and signaling systems along the Baku–Boyuk Kasik line, as well as the major overhaul of the Alat–Osmanli–Astara line, is ongoing.
Train speeds have already been increased along the Osmanli–Astara section, creating opportunities to transport larger volumes of freight. It was also noted that, following the modernization of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway line, its annual capacity had increased from 1 million to 5 million tonnes.
Measures to renew rolling stock and expand locomotive and freight wagon fleets were also highlighted. Participants were informed that 300 new freight wagons had been purchased in 2025, while seven modern AC50 mainline freight locomotives were delivered to Azerbaijan from China in September 2026.
Negotiations are underway to acquire an additional 14 locomotives.
Preparations are also underway for the procurement of a further 250 wagons next year.
These measures are aimed at expanding the railway network’s transportation capacity and improving service reliability.
Particular attention was paid to institutional and digital transformation initiatives in the freight transportation sector.
It was noted that, under the ADY Express model, railway, port, and maritime transport services are envisaged to be provided through a single-window system.
The approach of “one contract, one manager, and one account” will enable customers to access various services more conveniently and efficiently while ensuring the coordinated management of transportation processes. Participants were also briefed on ongoing efforts to digitalize freight transportation, including the preparation of electronic consignment notes, shipment tracking, and automated tariff calculations.
It was noted that 11 electronic services are currently available through portal.ady.az, a platform established to improve customer access to ADY services. Work is underway to further expand the functionality of the customer portal.
In addition, ADY has launched the Cargo Tracking platform (cargo-tracking.ady.az), enabling cargo owners to monitor container shipments along the East–West international transport route in real time.
This digital service allows cargo owners, shippers, carriers, and other stakeholders to obtain timely information on the current status of their containers. The meeting also addressed tariff policy, discount mechanisms, and ways to improve the economic efficiency of freight transportation.
It was noted that the application of preferential tariffs takes into account various economic factors, including increased freight volumes, guaranteed volumes, the attraction of new cargo flows, the competitiveness of alternative routes, and other relevant considerations.
During the interactive discussion, participants exchanged views on a wide range of issues raised by shippers.
Particular attention was paid to the availability of wagons and platforms, delivery times, the organization of operations at railway stations, and the application of tariffs and fees.
The questions raised by participants were addressed during the discussion.
At the conclusion of the meeting, it was emphasized that maintaining direct and open dialogue with business partners remains a priority for ADY.
It was also noted that such meetings and discussions would continue regularly, with further meetings planned with other shippers.
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