Georgia completes construction of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway
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Georgia has completed building its section of the $600 million USD Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project.
The project to connect Baku in Azerbaijan with Kars, Turkey via Georgia’s capital Tbilisi was launched in 2007 and construction began in 2008.
Georgia’s Economy Minister Dimitry Kumsishvili said the Georgia project foresaw the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the 178km railway line between Marabda and Akhalkalaki and construction of a new railway line from Akhalkalaki to the Turkish border.
When complete the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad will link Azerbaijan with Turkey via Georgia. The project was made possible thanks to an inter-governmental agreement between the three countries.
Ten years ago high officials from Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey agreed to jointly implement the railway project to facilitate transportation of passengers and goods, principally oil.
Georgian Railways believed increasing trade between Turkey and Central Asia provided a Georgia with a significant opportunity to capture trade flows, particularly raw materials imported into Turkey from Central Asia and finished goods exported by Turkey.
Once fully operating about 17 million metric tonnes of cargo will be able to pass through the corridor per year. Initially however, this figure will be equal to one million passengers and 6.5 million metric tonnes of cargo.
Construction of the $600 million USD Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway will be fully completed before November 2016, offering immense benefits to the three countries involved.
Azerbaijan is intending to put 30 new passenger carriages into operation on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway corridor that connects Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.
The first test train is set to begin operating on the new Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway project later today.
A pilot train is set to test the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad that links Azerbaijan with Turkey via Georgia before the end of the year, announced Georgia’s Prime Minister at a special business forum today.
Azerbaijani Railways OJSC intends to put new passenger carriages into operation on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars route.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project, which facilitates the transport of passengers and goods between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, will be fully commissioned at the beginning of 2017.
The first ever professionally completed map of the historic railway line linking Georgia with Azerbaijan and Turkey has been published to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of the Georgian national railway.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway, an important section in the middle of the modern Silk Road, will soon be fully commissioned, increasing connectivity among Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.
The first freight train from Azerbaijan will run to Turkey through Georgia in about two months – the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway project is nearing the completion.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has thanked the Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili for his contribution to the successful implementation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project facilitating the transport of passengers and goods between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.