A new roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) shipping route across the Caspian Sea marks an important addition to the International North-South Transport Corridor and will enhance regional trade networks. The route links the Iranian port of Amirabad with the port of Kuryk in Kazakhstan.
The first Ro-Ro vessel, carrying TIR trucks, left Iran on 16 November, arriving in Kazakhstan four days later. More Ro-Ro lines will connect other Iranian ports on the Caspian Sea to Russia and Kazakhstan in the future, with goods transported to and from the ports by road.
TIR will facilitate intermodal movements on these new routes in the same way as it supports other Ro-Ro itineraries across the Caspian Sea, including from the port of Alyat in Azerbaijan to the Kazakh port of Aktau.
A direct Ro-Ro line connecting Iran with Kazakhstan will mean drivers transit through fewer countries by road, so they will need fewer visas compared to other routes. This will also reduce fuel consumption and transport times.
IRU is dedicated to supporting governments and TIR transport operators in the opening of new transport corridors, which will facilitate trade and boost economic recovery during and following the COVID-19 crisis.