The delegation headed by TCDD Transportation General Manager Hasan Pezük met with Tajikistan Railway General Manager Mirzoalı Komil Jumakhon and his delegation in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, on January 21, 2022.
During the meeting, discussions were held on the organization of container trains going to Turkey-Turkmenistan-China via Tajikistan, including the use of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line, and the operation of direct conventional and container trains between Tajikistan-Turkey.
During the very productive meetings, a protocol was signed on the development of logistics corridors between Europe and Asia and on increasing freight transport.
With the cooperation protocol, conventional and container trains will be operated directly between Tajikistan and Turkey, while the organization of container trains going to Turkey-Turkmenistan-China via Tajikistan will be ensured.
General Manager Hasan Pezük, who gave information about the protocol signed with Tajikistan Railway, stated that the concepts of speed, cost, reliability, quality and flexibility gained importance in international trade, which was reshaped as a result of globalization, and that these developments accelerated the search for new alternative transportation routes to the seaway in the increasing trade between Europe and Asia. Emphasizing that there is railway transportation in the center, he said:
“World trade has now begun to flow through international rail corridors. As a result of following priority railway policies since 2003, Turkey has an important railway sector in its region today. Our country is becoming a central country, that is, a logistics base, in multi-directional corridors such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line, Asia and Europe, Asia and Africa, Russia and the Middle East. On the one hand, BTK and on the other hand, the transportations made via Iran are increasing rapidly with the pandemic. As it will be remembered, while the second freight train from Pakistan reached Köseköy, UN food aid started to be delivered from our country to Afghanistan. Mobility on these routes will gradually increase. With the protocol we signed with Tajikistan Railways, while conventional and container trains will be operated directly between Tajikistan and Turkey, the organization of container trains going to Turkey-Turkmenistan-China via Tajikistan will be ensured.”
Stating that with the protocol signed with Tajikistan Railway, our exporters, industrialists and countries in the region are offered the shortest, safest and most economical alternative transportation option, Pezük said, “When it is considered that the transportation time of a product between Europe and China takes 40-60 days by sea, the strengthening of international railway corridors, effective and efficient transportation. The importance of making it more efficient will be understood,” he said.
Pezuk drew attention to the following: “Railway has significant advantages compared to seaway and airway in terms of price and time in transportation to inland areas away from ports. The time, which is 40-60 days by sea, decreases very significantly by rail. For example, block trains complete the 12 thousand kilometer track between Turkey and China in 12 days. It is aimed to reduce this period to 10 days. Likewise, it completes between Russia and Turkey in 8 days. It also completes the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul track in approximately 12 days. All these are tremendous developments. With the transportation to be started between Tajikistan and Turkey, our exporters, industrialists and countries in the region will easily transport their products. This convenience will strengthen the friendship and cooperation between the countries of the region and will provide significant support to the development of the countries in the region.”
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