Uzbekistan and partner countries sign protocol to expand CASCA+ rail corridor

Uzbekistan and five partner nations have agreed to deepen their railway cooperation under the CASCA+ project. The agreement followed a series of high-level meetings convened to address logistical performance, cargo growth, and the implementation of a more competitive pricing system across the multi-country transit network.

Photo: UTK

The regional discussions, hosted by Uzbekistan Railways, brought together the state company's Deputy Chairman, Abdumalik Kamiljanov, and senior representatives from the national railway administrations of Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Delegates evaluated the corridor’s operational results covering 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, focusing on identifying structural bottlenecks and regulatory barriers that slow down cross-border trade.

According to the press service of Uztemiryulkonteyner, the official logistics and container operator of Uzbekistan Railways, the participating states explored several practical measures to boost transport efficiency. Key proposals during the session centered on shortening transit times, elevating service quality for international shippers, and establishing an optimized tariff policy designed to make the route more financially attractive.

The meetings concluded with the signing of a comprehensive six-party protocol. The newly signed document establishes a formal roadmap aimed at accelerating freight volumes and expanding mutually beneficial operational ties between the corridor's member states.

The CASCA+ initiative has seen steady development since its strategic alignment was reinforced at a key regional summit in Tashkent in May 2024. During those initial sessions, Uzbekistan Railways advocated for the creation of a dedicated corridor consortium, the introduction of specialized refrigerated container services for food transport, and the rollout of an integrated online tracking system to monitor train cars and container locations in real time.