Countries participating in CASCA+ railway corridor between Asia and Europe agree to develop freight transport

TASHKENT. June 15 (Interfax) - Representatives of the railway departments of Uzbekistan, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan have agreed to expand cooperation in railway transportation as part of the Central Asia, South Caucasus, and Anatolia (CASCA+) project to develop an international transport corridor between Europe and Asia, according to the press service of UztemirYulKonteyner, the operator of Uzbekistan Railways' container fleet.

Meeting participants discussed boosting freight volumes along the CASCA+ corridor and further developing the route. They also reviewed the project's performance in 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, as well as limitations in the corridor's operation and possible measures to address them. Particular attention has been paid to proposals for increasing transportation efficiency, reducing transit times, improving the quality of logistics services, and developing a competitive pricing policy, according to the press release.

Following the negotiations, the parties signed a six-party agreement on developing the CASCA+ corridor. The document envisages increasing freight traffic volumes and expanding cooperation between the participating countries.

CASCA+, where the "plus" signifies readiness to accept new potential participants interested in shipping along the route, is a joint initiative of railway operators from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan, aimed at increasing freight traffic from Southeast Asian countries, particularly China, to Europe.