The European Union (EU) is considering the restoration of railway infrastructure in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic as one of its key investment projects in Azerbaijan.
According to Oxu.Az citing Report, Viktor Bojkov, head of the cooperation department at the EU delegation in Azerbaijan, stated this during a briefing.
He noted that the railway line, which once connected Baku on the Caspian Sea coast to the Black Sea, had been neglected for a long time.
Bojkov said he recently visited Nakhchivan and, together with a group of experts, inspected the railway section along the Julfa-Nakhchivan route.
"We traveled on a work train at a speed of about 20 km/h. It took nearly three hours to cover about 20 kilometers," he noted.
According to the EU representative, experts are currently analyzing the technical condition of the line, the required investment volume, possible restoration mechanisms, and the project's approximate cost.
"Preliminary results show that the railway infrastructure is generally in satisfactory condition," Bojkov said.
He added that during the inspection, experts examined the condition of bridges, overpasses, and the railway section along the Araz River near the state border.
"The restoration of the Nakhchivan railway project is of national importance and is considered one of the priority investment directions," Bojkov emphasized.
