AmCham Members Meet with Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways

American Chamber of Commerce in Azerbaijan (AmCham Azerbaijan) organized its monthly members` luncheon featuring participation and speech by Mr. Javid Gurbanov, Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways.

Mrs. Natavan Mammadova, AmCham Executive Director, welcomed guests and updated them about the upcoming events as Black and White Ball and Azerbaijan-US Business Forum. Afterwards, she congratulated Mr. Nuran Kerimov with his new role as a Vice-President of AmCham.

Special guest of the luncheon Mr. Gurbanov welcomed and expressed gratitude to all AmCham members, as well as the Ambassadors of USA, Switzerland, France and Mexico. Then he noted that despite Azerbaijan is a small-sized country, it is located in the centre of the world and is the gate between East and West.

“The location dictates us to support and improve our logistics. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev pays a great attention to the development of our country, during the last years 6 airports and 12.000 km roads were built. Railways also play a big role. It has been already two years that ADY started reforms in Azerbaijan Railways, trying to increase the salary and attract new employees. We also do a lot of activities in modernization of buildings, in particular the Sumgait section. We provided our staff and office with high standard conditions,” stated Mr. Gurbanov within his speech.

Later, Mr.Gurbanov noted that Central Station is under the construction now, on 24th December new central station will open its doors for passengers. The number of passengers increased in Baku-Sumgait line, also they are planning to open new stations and buy new locomotives. ADY will launch the ring railway construction on the 29.2 km section Baku-Pirshagi-Sumgait.

Mr.Gurbanov reported about online tickets system, as well about new purchases, new locomotives and electric trains that have been bought during the last years. He also said that a passenger train will start running between Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan and Iran’s Mashhad before late November. The launch of the railway communication is expected to promote further development of tourism between two countries.

Construction of a railway bridge across the Astarachay River at the border of Azerbaijan and Iran as part of the North-South Transport Corridor will be completed in December 2016.Javid Gurbanov said that 8.3 km section of the railway from the Astara station to the bridge at the border with Iran is ready and has been tested. The North –South Transport Corridor is meant to connect Northern Europe with Southeast Asia. It will serve as a link for connecting the railways of Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia.  -08D---