Baku: Two investment options have been prepared to improve safety on Azerbaijan's main east-west railway line, APA-Economics, citing the European Investment Bank (EIB).

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the main railway line, which is more than 500 kilometers long, connects the city of Baku with the Boyuk Kesik station located on the border with Georgia. The line is an important part of the Middle Corridor, connecting Europe and China. Built in the 1970s, the line passes through cities and villages, resulting in 76 level crossings and pedestrian-animal crossings along the route that pose safety risks.

Over the past 20 months, there have been 36 collisions involving animals and 97 collisions involving people on this railway line. These incidents have resulted in the loss of 15 lives.

In response, 'Azerbaijan Railways' CJSC (ADY) sought the EIB's advisory program to assess opportunities for safety improvements. As part of the project, the Eastern Partnership Connectivity Investment Mechanism (EPIC) team of the bank examined all critical crossings along the railway line. Each crossing was mapped, and the intensity of use and risk levels were analyzed to determine optimal solutions for separating train movement from people and animals.

Two investment options were developed as a result of these efforts. The first option involves installing fences, constructing underground crossings for animals, and closing the eight most dangerous crossings, with an estimated cost of approximately £50 million. The second option expands these measures to cover 17 crossings, with an estimated cost of about £90 million.

The main goal of both approaches is to minimize the intersection of railway traffic with human and animal crossings, thereby preventing accidents.