- Azerbaijan Railways receives EIB advice to improve rail safety while reducing travel times, costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
- It is the first assignment completed under EU-funded Facility for Eastern Partnership Investment in Connectivity (EPIC).
- Project focuses on safety at level crossings along the Baku-Boyuk Kesik train route.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) completed a 10-month assignment helping Azerbaijan improve railway safety and reliability. The EIB’s advisory support, the first one completed under the Facility for Eastern Partnership Investment in Connectivity (EPIC), resulted in recommendations that will guide Azerbaijan Railways in a project to improve operational safety while reducing travels times, costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
The advisory support helped Azerbaijan Railways in enhancing safety at existing level crossings along the important Baku-Boyuk Kesik rail route, which is a 503-kilometre line that links the capital city and Port of Baku with the rail network of neighbouring Georgia and continues to the Black Sea. It is part of the core TEN-T network in Azerbaijan and serves as an important link, especially for cargo transport, along the “Middle Corridor”.
“We are pleased to announce the successful completion of the first assignment under EPIC, which transfers the experience and best practices in the transport sector within the EU to the Eastern neighbourhood,” said EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska, who is responsible for the Bank’s activities in the region “I am confident that the guidance from our advisors will enhance the project's development, focusing on improving safety and minimising environmental impact for this vital railway connection, benefitting both Azerbaijan and the region.”
European Union Ambassador to Azerbaijan Peter Michalko said “Azerbaijan's strategic location, infrastructure development efforts, and potential for enhancing trade and economic cooperation make the country a strategic partner in the context of the extended Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), contributing strongly to better connectivity, better economic development, and better regional integration. The EU works hand in hand with Azerbaijan and with the EIB on key transport and infrastructure projects. We will continue to offer technical assistance, loans, guarantees for infrastructure development, greening, digitalisation as well as to strengthen transport governance.”
“International cooperation in the field of rail safety and minimizing greenhouse gas emission is a high priority for Azerbaijan railway and we will enhance cooperation with our partners in this field and implement best international standard in rail operations and infrastructure,” said Arif Agayev Advisor of Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC.
EPIC assists investment projects in the Eastern Neighbourhood that are related to the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). It focuses on projects prioritised under the Indicative TEN-T Investment Action Plan and the EU’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Eastern Partnership. EPIC supports these projects to meet the requirements of the EU and of international financial institutions, ensuring the initiatives are ready for investment while minimising environmental damage. It is funded by the EU and managed by the EIB’s advisory programme for Joint Assistance to Support Projects in European Regions (JASPERS).
As a part of the assignment, EIB and Azerbaijan Railways teams worked closely together to identify level-crossings of high-risk for potential grade separation. With the EPIC support, Azerbaijan Railways also identified the most critical locations of uncontrolled livestock and pedestrian crossings along the line. The Project Identification Report based on the EIB advisory assignment will play an important role in the decision-making process related to these level crossings and next phase of the project. In addition, the successfully completed task is related to Middle Corridor, which is a priority for Azerbaijan and Eurasia region. The projects in the rail sectors included in this corridor connecting China with the EU through Central Asia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye are vital in the medium and long term perspective.
Background information
About the Facility for Eastern Partnership Investment in Connectivity (EPIC)
Funded by the European Union and managed by EIB advisory programme JASPERS, EPIC offers Eastern Partnership countries free advisory support and technical assistance to improve transport connections. It is implemented in cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and World Bank.
EPIC Projects can come from all transport subsectors, such as road, rail, air, waterborne and intermodal transport sectors. Typically, projects will:
- Reduce travel time and cost,
- Eliminate bottlenecks,
- Improve road safety,
- Adapt transport infrastructure to climate change,
- Have socio-economic and environmental benefits.
Currently under EPIC, the EIB is providing advisory support or technical assistance to ten projects in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova and Ukraine.