Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan has a little over 2000 km of railways. The railway infrastructure and the rolling stock are currently in dilapidated condition which has a negative impact on personnel and passengers’ safety as well as on the energy performance and competitiveness of the sector. AFD supports the ambitious reform program that has been launched in 2008 by the government for the development and the modernization of its railways. 

• Development of the East-West corridor: Since 2015, AFD has been supporting the renovation of the Azerbaijani section of the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey railway line. The project will allow the construction of two maintenance workshops and the training of machinists and locomotive drivers. It also contributes to the technical capacity building of railway personnel and to the maintenance of new locomotives. 
• Renovation of North-South line: In partnership with the Asian Development Bank, AFD has been supporting since 2018 the renewal of Sumqayit-Yalama rail line. The work will upgrade 166.5 km of double -line rail track in order to ensure the rapid and safe movement of goods and passengers. 
• Financial restructuring of the national railway company ADY: AFD supports the company’s institutional and operational reforms. The aim: To make ADY an efficient and economically viable company within a clear regulatory framework for railway traffic.

In line with its regional strategy for Eurasia, AFD aims to support urban resilience and adaptation projects in the country through the financing of urban infrastructures (transport, water and sanitation, waste management, pollution control etc.), sustainable land management and natural resource preservation (irrigation, forest, etc.), support for the energy transition (renewable energies, energy efficiency and energy sector reform) and connectivity.

In this respect, it is working on the identification of other projects in the energy sector and water resource management sector in Azerbaijan.