The convenient location of Azerbaijan on the crossroad of major international traffic arteries, such as the Silk Road and the South-North corridor, highlights the strategic importance of transportation sector for the country's economy. Azerbiajan is considered as a door of Europe opening to Asia.
In 2002, Azerbaijan Government established the Ministry of Transport (http://www.mot.gov.az/) with a broad range of policy and regulatory functions. The comprehensive Transport Sector Development Strategy for Azerbaijan is currently being prepared at the Ministry of Transport with the assistance of international consultants and financial support from Asian Development Bank. The Strategy will set the sector's strategic agenda and development priorities and propose necessary reforms in transport policies, regulations, and organizational structures. The transport sector in Azerbaijan includes roads, railways, aviation, and maritime transport.
Roads
There are about 25,000 kilometers of roads in the country, serving domestic cargo traffic and giving access to international main highways. Highways, main and rural roads are being upgrading according to the international standards in a view to accommodate growing transit traffic. Main highways carrying international traffic are the Baku-Alat-Ganja-Kazakh-Georgian Border corridor (Azerbaijani section of TRACECA corridor) with a length of 503 km and the so-called North-South Corridor that stretches out from the Russian to the Iranian border along 521 km. Travel between mainland and the detached enclave of Nakhichevan is made by air or by road through Iran. Nakhichevan has a 9-kilometre strategic border with Turkey.
Rail
Azerbaijan has 2,125 kilometers of rail lines, excluding several small industrial lines. Most lines are 1.520 metre broad gauge, and the principal routes are electrified (1,278km). About 60% of the length of the railway routes or 1126 km are equipped with full automatic blocks and 479 km - with centralized dispatcher. The railways has 176 stations, 2 of which , Bilajari and Shirvan are completely automated, 12 stations have container courts with adapted mechanisms and machines, 3 stations - Keshle, Ganja and Khirdalan are able to supply high cargo containers. The network and the trains are operated by Azerbaijan State Railway (ADDY - Azerbaycan Doövlet Demir Yolu). Some investment has been made in trains recently with the consequent reflexes in the quality of services. From Baku there are train connections with Tbilisi in Georgia and Derbent in Dagestan (Russian Federation), as well as Moscow, Rostov, Kiev, Kharkiv (Ukraine), Brest (Belarus) and other major cities in the CIS. Call Baku Railway station on 982039 or e-mail ADDY at info@addy.gov.az.
Air
There are regular flights between Azerbaijan and former Soviet countries, UK, Germany, France, Austria, Italy, Czech Republic, Israel, Iran, Turkey, UAE, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. There are 4 international airports located in Baku, Ganja, Lankaran and Nakhchivan. The national airline is AZAL (http://www.azal.az).
Baku Cargo terminal
Baku Cargo Terminal has been officially inaugurated and started its operation on 23rd of March, 2005. BCT is one of the biggest and most technically advanced cargo terminals in CIS and offers entire range of cargo services in a state-of-the-art infrastructure located on one of the oldest routes "Silk Way" - linking East and the West, exchanging business, cultures, technologies, and ideas. Advanced location of the Terminal at the territory of Heydar Aliyev International Airport allows to significantly increase the cargo turnover and turn Baku into an important transfer zone.
Total terminal building area is 12 000m2. Total apron area is 163 000m2. The apron area provides space for handling of 4 Boeing 747 or 4 AN124 and 7 IL76 aircrafts. Technical base of the cargo terminal provides an extensive and specialised warehouse area, for door-to-door handling and storage of a wide range of cargo: cooling facilities for perishable goods; valuable storage room equipped with observation systems; storage for dangerous goods different categories. (http://www.bct.az)
Maritime and Water Transport
Azerbaijan has direct maritime connections only with other Caspian littoral states (Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan). However, the Volga-Don canal provides a maritime access to the high seas. The main activity is transport of cargo, mainly of oil and oil products. Shipping regions are Caspian, Black, Mediterranean and Marmara Seas. The main shipping company owes 72 ships, 37 of which are tankers (including 1 water-carrier).
Shipping services operate regularly from Baku across the Caspian Sea to Turkmenbashy (formerly Krasnovodsk) in Turkmenistan and to Bandar Anzali and Bandar Nowshar in Iran. The boats to Turkmenbashy take about 300 passengers on a 12 hour voyage and sail on average three times a week. The port has seventeen berths, of which five are dedicated for transport of crude oil and petroleum products, two are used for passengers, and the remaining ten handle timber or other cargo. The port can accommodate ships up to 12,000 tons, and its facilities include portal cranes, tugboats, and equipment for handling petroleum and petroleum products. The port area has 10,000 square meters of covered storage and 28,700 square meters of open storage.
Baku International Sea Port (http://www.bakuseaport.az) is the largest port on the Caspian Sea. Its ferry terminal will be undergoing a major reconstruction. Once modernization of Baku port is completed, it will be able to handle 30 million tons of freight a year. The Caspian Sea provides vital transport links with other countries and is being used to ship oil until various pipeline projects are completed.
On June 4, 2004 the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan established the Maritime Administration. As the regulatory authority in maritime transport, its functions include participating in the formulation of state policy, regulating transport demand of goods and passengers and for other types of maritime transport services, as well as implementing state programs, concepts and projects for the development of maritime transport.
Traceca
Baku is poised to become a major regional transportation and communications hub for the Trans-Caucasus and Central Asian republics. The TRACECA Programme (Transport System Europe-Caucasus-Asia, informally known as the Great Silk Road) was launched by the European Union (EU) in 1993, and encourages the development of a transport corridor on an East-West axis from Central Asia through the Caucasus, across the Black Sea, to Europe. In 1998 twelve nations signed a multilateral agreement known as the Baku Declaration to develop the transport corridor through closer economic integration, rehabilitation and development of new transportation infrastructure, and by fostering stability and trust in the region. The corridor includes all forms of transport.
Note: There are hundreds of local and international freight companies offering transportation services. By applying to these companies, you can make custom clearance and ship your Goods to abroad without leaving your office and time wasting.
