First China-bound freight train sets out on Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway
The train will pass through five countries on its way to China, where it is scheduled to arrive within 12 days, leaving Turkey by December 8 following the Ankara-Sivas-Kars route. Photo: Anadolu Agency.
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The first train carrying goods from Turkey to China has begun operating on the new Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, announces Turkish media outlet Anadolu Agency.
The train will pass through five countries on its way to China, where it is scheduled to arrive within 12 days, leaving Turkey by December 8 following the Ankara-Sivas-Kars route.
It will make a stop at the Akhalkalaki Station in Georgia and then travel across Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan before entering China’s Xi'an province.
The 8,693-kilometer journey includes 2,323km in Turkey, 220 km in Georgia, 430km in Azerbaijan, 420km in the Caspian Sea, 3,200km in Kazakhstan and 2,100km in China.
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.
Georgia’s state-operated railway company will ensure the Caucasus is connected with Europe and Scandinavia, Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili says.
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 first test train is set to begin operating on the new Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway project later today.
The first train carrying goods from Turkey to China that began operating on the new Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway on December 4 arrived in Georgia last night, announces the Georgian Economy Ministry. Before entering China’s Xi'an province, which is the final stop of the train, it will cover 8,693 kilometer in 12 days.
The first direct container block train from the Chinese city of Xi’an to the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi will arrive on February 20, announces APM Terminals, a company that manages Poti port in the country’s Black Sea coastal region.
The first regular cargo train is heading from China to Georgia and is expected to reach the country in about 10-12 days, the Georgian Foreign Ministry says.