The joint venture will set competitive tariff rates and ensure seamless transportation of cargo
Within the framework of the 27th International Exhibition of Transport and Logistics services "TransRussia 2023", a memorandum was signed between KTZ Express JSC, JSC RZD Logistics and Transport and Logistics Center of Turkmenistan JSC on the establishment of a joint venture (JV) for the development of transportation, according to the Press Office of Kazakhstan Railways. The goal of the joint venture will be the creation of a single Logistics operator on the eastern route of the International North-South Transport Corridor.
The memorandum was signed by General Director of KTZ Express JSC Kairat Utyapov, General Director of JSC RZD Logistics Dmitry Murev, and General Director of Transport and Logistics Center of Turkmenistan JSC Merdan Byashimov.
The parties agreed to combine their competencies to form competitive tariff rates and "seamless" transportation of goods from Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan to Iran, India, the countries of the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region with the participation of Aksaraiskaya, Ozinki, Bolashak, Inche-Burun, Serakhs and in the opposite direction.
North-South international transport corridor (ITC) is a 7,200-kilometre-long transport artery from St Petersburg to ports in Iran and India. North-South ITC has a western and an eastern branch, both running across Iran. The western one foresees cargo transportation by road via Rasht, the eastern one – by railway. The end point in Iran is the port of Bandar Abbas from which cargo can be delivered to India by sea. The western branch also crosses Azerbaijan, the eastern one – Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Besides, direct water transportation from Russia to Iran by the Caspian Sea is possible.
The volume of Russian cargo transported by the North-South ITC is expected to double by 2030, from the current 17 million tonnes to 32 million tonnes.