ROSTOV-ON-DON, May 3. Russian Railways plans to invest about 1.2 billion rubles by 2025 in the development of the Kutum cargo terminal in Astrakhan, said the governor of the Astrakhan region Igor Babushkin.
«Dry Port» Kutum in Astrakhan receives and processes cargo that follows the international transport corridor «North — South». Until 2025, Russian Railways plans to allocate 1.2 billion rubles for its renewal,» he wrote in his Telegram channel.
upgrade of transshipment equipment, as well as automation of production processes.
After a large-scale modernization, the terminal will become a transshipment hub for any cargo transported by rail.Its processing capacity will double and amount to 500,000 tons per year.
According to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Energy of the Astrakhan region Ilya Volynsky, the region is actively involved in the development of the North-South corridor and the creation of a port special economic zone (SEPZ). By the end of 2024, it is planned to complete the construction of the first stage of the SEPZ in the region. Funding has been allocated from the federal budget in the amount of 2.5 billion rubles. An anchor resident has been identified who will provide the zone with port handling and storage equipment at the expense of private funds.
Initially, it was planned that the «North-South» would connect the countries of Europe and India through the Caspian Sea, and Russia would become only a transit point. However, under today's conditions, the new corridor is one of the main routes for the delivery of goods to Russia.
In 2022, there was an increase in cargo turnover through the ports of Astrakhan and Olya by almost 15%. The total cargo turnover of these seaports in January-March this year amounted to 814 thousand tons, which is 72 percent more than in the same period last year.
Read more news from the region here>>< /p>