BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 31. Railway administrations from 12 countries gathered in Tashkent on October 30 for the 35th Tariff Conference of participants in the Tariff Agreement of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Georgia, Latvia, and Estonia to discuss freight rates for international rail transportation in 2027.
According to the Uzbekistan Railways, the conference, hosted by Uzbekistan, brought together tariff specialists from national railway administrations and representatives of the CIS Railway Transport Council Directorate.
The main objective of the meeting was to review and approve railway freight tariffs for the 2027 freight year, which will apply to international rail transportation.
Discussions focused on developing tariff conditions that balance the interests of cargo owners and railway operators while maintaining the competitiveness of rail transport against alternative modes of transportation.
Opening the conference, First Deputy Chairman of the Board of Uzbekistan Railways Khikmatulla Rakhmetov emphasized the role of competitive pricing in attracting freight volumes to the railway network.
"Tariffs today are not simply figures; they are one of the main instruments for redirecting freight flows from other modes of transport to rail," he said.
Rakhmetov added that a balanced, forward-looking and market-oriented approach to tariff formation could contribute to faster growth in rail freight transportation.
Moreover, participants discussed the importance of establishing a pricing framework that takes into account the interests of both freight shippers and railway operators, while supporting the long-term development of international rail connections.
