BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. The total cargo traffic via the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway line [since its commissioning] amounted to 1.47 million tons, Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu said, Trend reports.
According to him, the BTK is a crucial part of the Middle Corridor, which is one of the trade routes between Asia and Europe, providing uninterrupted rail transportation between China and Europe through Marmaray (76.6 km-long intercontinental commuter rail line located in Istanbul).
"Currently, freight shipments continue through the BTK to Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China. Construction materials, iron ore, manganese, household appliances, food products, cleaning supplies, marble, and more are transported from Türkiye to these countries via this railway. At the same time, Türkiye imports grain, silicon, paper, copper cathodes, zinc, fertilizers, chemicals, and electronic goods from these countries," Uraloglu noted.
The minister also mentioned that work is ongoing to establish passenger transportation between Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye via the BTK line.
"On the 246-kilometer BTK railway line passing through Georgia, construction work for passenger transportation continues. After the completion of these works and certification, passenger transportation on the BTK line will commence. Türkiye is confidently fulfilling its task of redirecting cargo and increasing the capacity of the BTK," he pointed out.
Moreover, in railway freight transport along the Middle Corridor Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway line, the CIM/SMGS [Contract of International Carriage of Goods by Rail/Surface Movement Guidance System] common transport document is now being used, the minister added.
Uraloglu also said that ensuring direct railway and road transportation between Türkiye and Azerbaijan will be a significant step that unites the entire Turkic world.
"Considering international transport corridors, the Middle Corridor appears as a strong alternative in terms of distance and time. The technical and economic justification for the construction project of the Kars-Nakhchivan railway, which is included in Türkiye's investment program for 2023, has been completed, and negotiations on its financing are currently ongoing. Türkiye is always open to cooperation with both Azerbaijan and other Turkic states," the minister emphasized.
The 850-km Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line was commissioned in 2017. The rapid delivery of goods from Asia to Europe through Azerbaijan increases the significance of the BTK in the regional transportation network.
The total amount of goods deliveries via BTK amounted to 432,284 tons in 2022, showing a nearly 30-percent increase from 2021.
