On Tuesday the sea port of Aktau (Kazakhstan) launched the first Kazakh feeder m/v Turkestan with containers aboard to the sea port of Baku (Azerbaijan) within Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), as per the Press Office of JS Kazakhstani Railways.
Just timely the International Association TITR has held its meeting in Kyiv to discuss the rail traffic matters, and its Secretary General Rakhmetolla Kudaybergenov commented some issues.
The feeders are going to shuttle on a regular weekly basis. The vessels admitting 225 TEU secure intake of two full-length container trains each. Formerly the boxes from Kazakhstani ports were brought out only by ferries while bulkers were used mainly for grain and metals carriage.
“The project’s maritime operator is NMSC Kazmortransflot LLP. We hope that upon the regular feeder connection Aktau-Baku launched we would be able to transport almost 75-100,000 containers a year”, reported Chairman of the Board of the Kazakh national railway operator JS Qazaqstan Temir Joly (Kazakhstani Railways) Sauat Mynbayev.
As he noted, TITR serves a key link of Eurasian transport arteries of the region and complements the Kazakhstani transit corridors system. “Regular feeder service favours the growth of cargo flows by TITR and further development of the cargoes containerisation in the Caspian region. Along with Kazakh export goods in containers, transit cargoes will be transferred from China to Europe”, underlined Mr Mynbayev.
Consolidated transit cargoes from China to Europe together with Kazakh export cargoes in containers will be transported in accelerated mode. The railways of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey are ready to secure the transit cargoes traffic in container trains passing from Lianyungang to Istanbul for as little as 16 days.
RK: In 2017 the box traffic embraced 8,600 TEU, general cargo – 1M t; in 2018 – 15,000 TEU, gencargo – some 1M t too. Of all this volume only around 50,000 t went to Ukraine. That’s too little so far… For 2018 60-70 full-length container trains went. But with the feeder service launched there will be more. Previously a ferry used to steam due to the cargo availability. The feeder ship is going to sail on schedule, and container shippers will strive to catch it for the sake of faster delivery.
“Whereby the active use of the logistic infrastructure of borderline station (Kazakhstan – China) Altynkol, dry port of EEZ Khorgos – Eastern Gate, and seaport Aktau is going to provide efficiency of transit traffic via Kazakhstan”, added Mr Mynbayev.
As reported to Interfax- Kazakhstan Agency a representative of a transport company, the used of freighters for the sea traffic of containers enables to optimise the shippers’ expenses. “Expenses decrease on account of the fact that along with more or less equal cost of carriage, an average Caspian bulker admits around 30% more boxes than a ferry boat”, remarked the source.
By his assessment, the cost of one TEU carriage by a freighter from Aktau to Alat (Azerbaijan) may amount to $460, taking into account the empty back travel within the route. The cost of laden railcars by ferry from Aktau to Alat, by his data, from the start of the year amounts to $48 per metre, and the empty back travel $39 p/m.
Providing container deliveries from Kazakhstan by the route Baku – Tbilisi – Kars (Turkey) the carriers apply through rates calculated till the end-point in Turkey.
RK: We are customer-directed, i.e. we analyse alternative routes, current rates, and elaborate a certain rate together with the customer. Everyone gives his tariff. Say, Kazakh Railway, ports, sea carriers, Ukrferry etc. …and then we approve the single through rate.
“Loading off grain from Aktau in boxes comes cheaper than pouring onboard a freighter. Say, stevedoring in the port takes $67 per TEU. Pouring grain into bulker holds costs some $5 per tonne, comprising the port’s rate $1.7 and 3.5 per tonne for the services of grain terminal Ak Biday”, said the informer.
Along with that, container load/discharge rates in Aktau and Alat exceed the railcars roll on/off rates for ferry. Roll on/off in Aktau takes $56.37 per car, and $70 in Alat.
In April 2018 the Azerbaijani feeder m/v Makhmoud Rakhimov served the first run by route Baku – Aktau – Baku in the course of the feeder container service at Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.
R.K.: Regarding the container trains via Ukraine: some final decisions are very probably expected on Polish-Ukrainan route as soon as May-June. It’s a test voyage of the train China – Europe – China through Ukraine. This initiative comes from the Chinese part due to deficiency of capacities at the Belarus route. There are some matters unsolved with technology and tariffs, which is difficult as we are going to transport via territories of Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Poland, and back via the Black and Caspian Seas.
Ukraine’s infrastructure is self-reliant. Of course, there are some tiny issues – regarding the lack of rolling stock etc. Yet for out corridor it’s even over-self-reliant. The capacities exceed our needs. Cargoes go via ports while your ports are undercharged nowadays. So no problem.
Trans-Caspian International Transport Route is a transport corridor connecting China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, and European countries employing ferry connections through ports of the Caspian and Black Seas.
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