First container train arrives to Novorossisk on September 27
First container train arrives to Novorossisk on September 27, 2006, Fergana.Ru reports. The train was launched on September 21 to the rout Urumchi-Dostyk-Aksaraisk- Novorossisk in direction of East European countries. The agreement on container transportation of cargo by railway from China to Russia via Kazakhstan and then to Europe was made in May, when Nursultan Nazarbaev, President of Kazakhstan visited Russia.
Today Azerbaijan and Georgia consider the possibility of container train to run on the permanent basis at the rout: Almaty - Aktau - Baku - Poti. Pilot container train was launched at the rout on December 24, 2005. In order to increase attractiveness of this project Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Georgia agreed on introduction of a unified tariff for container transportation along the corridor at the level of US2.2 cents per 1 ton-km. Bulgaria and China are also willing to participate in this project.