Minister of Infrastructure Andrii Pyvovarskyi expects the new container train on the so-called New Silk Road to begin full commercial operation in March. Pyvovarskyi announced this during the government question hour in the parliament on Friday, 5 February, the Interfax Ukraine news agency reports.
According to Pyvovarskyi, the train should return to Ukraine before the end of February. After that, "absolutely all the logistical weaknesses" will be worked out and the relevant regulatory document signed, which will make it possible to launch commercial operation of the train.
The final protocol that regulates all the technical issues and bottlenecks will be signed in Baku around 20 February, and we will be able to say that this train will be able to reach a normal business mode from March," the minister said.
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According to him, the main operator of this route will be the Liski transport service center (part of the Ukrzaliznytsia public rail company). "We have done everything possible to lay this route. The managements of Ukrzaliznytsia and Liski will now need to do their work: do business. If they cannot, then I am sorry, we will look for those who can," Pyvovarskyi said.
The minister believes it is realistic to reduce the travel time of the container train to 10 days, which, according to him, is practically equal to the similar route through Russia.
As reported, the pilot train in the New Silk Road departed from Illichivsk on a ferry on 15 January. The train traveled on the route Ukraine-Georgia-Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan-China, reaching the Chinese border on the 16th day (in the early hours of 31 January 2016).
