On Thursday, December 28, 2017, the succeeding test container train was launched from Changsha city - the administrative centre of Hunan Province of China,- via Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to Tehran.
The route of this container train runs through the main network of Chinese railways, in particular, the Khorgos border crossing, the Altyn koy-Bolashak (Kazakhstan) railway lines, the rail network of Turkmenistan-Serhetiak, Akayla and further to Tehran.
The length of the Changsha-Tehran route is more than 10297 thousand kilometers, the transit time is 14 days, which is much less than by sea (from 25 to 30 days).
The freight train includes more than fifty 40-kilogram containers with various consumer goods.
This freightliner was launched on the initiative of the Turkmen side with a view to implement the country's foreign policy course consistently implemented by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to strengthen and expand productive multifaced transport cooperation and practical implementation of the provisions of the UN General Assembly Resolution "Strengthening the links between all modes of transport to achieve the goals of sustainable development".
It should be noted that at present the implementation of freight rail transportation projects along the China-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway route is becoming a regular and stable message. Thus, today, on December 29, the kick start of the second cargo freightliner from the Chinese city of Yinchuan (Ningxia-Hui Autonomous Region), following on the route China-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran, will be launched. The first freight train on the route Yinchuan-Tehran was launched in September current year.
Tomorrow, December 30, from the north-western Chinese city of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, the third container train will be transited through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to Iran.
The development of container transportations on this international transport route contributes to its attractiveness, building up the transit potential of Turkmenistan and increasing its competitiveness.
