Baku is the largest city not only in Azerbaijan, but also in the Caspian Sea area, with over 2 million people living in the city. Apart from the citizens, the number of tourists is also significant, the capital of Azerbaijan being one of the most important touristic destinations in the Caucasus. Without further figures, it is easy to conclude on the importance of an efficient transport system.
The challenges imposed by mobility, the increasing number of people living in the city and the growth of the industrial sector in Baku are the reasons why the authorities are determined to adopt new plans for the development and effectiveness of the urban transport system. Due to the fact that surface traffic has difficulties in answering to the transport needs, the metro company, Baku Metropolitan, has decided to expand the metro network which has 2 lines with a total length of 34.5 km (23 stations). Starting with 2012, the company initiated projects for the extension of the lines and for the future construction of the 3rd line. Currently, there are 3 stations in construction and construction projects are being elaborated for another 5 stations. “At the end of 2013, the metro company plans to finalize two stations and to implement the construction projects of the three stations served by a 7km long line”, said the company’s CEO Tagi Ahmadov. Therefore, to complete an extension project, the metro company and the consortium including Akkord- Bouygues have signed a memorandum of understanding as part of the Metro Development Project in the capital of Azerbaijan. The project includes the reconstruction of a station and the construction of the “green line” which will be 7km long with 3 stations. The agreement has been signed due to the national Baku metro development programme until 2015, approved by the Azerbaijani presidency. The projects included in the deve-lopment programme will be commissioned in 2014-2016.
The Government of Azerbaijan, the Mi-nistry of Transport and the metro company have asked the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to grant the money necessary for the implementation of urban transport projects and the bank has approved a loan of over USD 1 Million. Moreover, the programme on the development of sustainable mobility in the capital of Azerbaijan, which became effective in 2013, has attracted a loan of USD 300 Million from ADB, most of which will go to the deve-lopment of the metro system development projects.
On the long term, Baku Metro Company announced it planned to expand the infrastructure by another three lines (the network will have 5 lines) by 2030. The network will have a total length of 119 km and 76 stations. Therefore, there will be 53 new stations and 84.3 km of lines, another depot (in the north-west of the city) and a depot for the maintenance of the rolling stock fleet.
As part of the extension programme, in 2013 the company will implement the projects in plan and will launch tenders for the construction of infrastructure and stations and will elaborate documents for future projects, the development strategy for the next 20 years being already approved by authorities.
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