ASHGABAT (TCA) — A container train making another China–Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Iran test run passed through Turkmenistan to Iran via Akyayla railway station, the State News Agency of Turkmenistan reported.
The train consisting of 41 container carriages loaded with consumer goods that left the city of Changsha (Hunan province), a large industrial centre in the south of China, would help to detect the timing and other working parameters of the route for establishment of regular rail transportation.
The departure of the train Changsha (China) – Altynkol (Kazakhstan) – Bolashak – Serhetyaka (Turkmenistan) – Akyayla – Incheburun (Iran) – Tehran was held at a ceremony attended by high-ranking officials, representatives of the government and business circles of China as well as member states including Turkmenistan. The event was organized by transportation company Hunan Xiang OU Express Co., Ltd together with the Department of Trade of Hunan province.
The participants of the ceremony highlighted the important role of transport corridor China – Kazakhstan – Turkmenistan – Iran as one of the key routes of the Silk Road which is being revived in a new mode.
Operation of this rail line will allow increasing the volume of cargo traffic and open new capabilities of trade and economic cooperation in the region and in the continent.
For Turkmenistan, the participation in this international logistics project means the activation of transit capabilities as today, the Silk Route is being restored in modern automobile, railway, maritime and air routes.
These lines, which almost match the directions of ancient transcontinental routes, would provide the consolidation of foreign economic relations, expansion of transit transportation in the Eurasian continent, as well as cultural and tourist contacts.
