ASHGABAT, May 3. /TASS/. Transportation of goods by rail on three different routes of the North-South multi-mode transport corridor for the first quarter of this year soared by two and three times compared to the same period in 2022. First Deputy General Director of Russian Railways, Sergey Pavlov presented this data at the conference "International transport and transit corridors: interconnection and development - 2023".

In particular, 2.2 million tons were transported along the Western route of the corridor, which is two times more than the same period last year, along the Trans-Caspian route - 74,700 tons were carried, which is a three-fold increase, and 234,800 tons were delivered along the Eastern route, which is a twofold increase.

The western route of the North-South transport corridor passes through Azerbaijan and Iran by rail using road transport. The Trans-Caspian route uses the potential of the Caspian Sea to Iranian ports, the eastern route goes through Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran.

Turkmenistan has not yet joined the intergovernmental agreement on the creation of a multi-mode North-South transport corridor (signed by Russia, India and Iran in 2000, later the membership expanded to 14), but is officially working on joining the agreement.

The conference and exhibition "International transport and transit corridors: interconnection and development - 2023" is underway in Ashgabat on May 3-4.