AGHBAND, Azerbaijan, September 5. Azerbaijan has kicked off freight transport to the Araz Economic Zone Industrial Park via the Horadiz-Aghband railway line, said Cavad Alovsatov, construction manager at the Construction Project Management Department of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, Trend’s regional correspondent reports.
Speaking to reporters, Alovsatov stated that construction of the railway line began in 2021. The total length of the line is 110.4 kilometers, extending to 140.6 kilometers including branch lines. The project includes the construction of 9 stations, 9 bridges, 26 road crossings, 3 galleries, 4 tunnels, and over 500 engineering structures. Mine clearance along the main axis, spanning 60 meters in width, has been completed.
Alovsatov explained that construction is being carried out in three phases. The 1st phase is largely complete, enabling the start of freight transport to the industrial park. Work on the 2nd and 3rd phases, including earthworks and the construction of engineering structures, is ongoing.
''Due to the rugged mountainous and rocky terrain along the route, some excavation work is being carried out using controlled blasting techniques. Additional bridges were built along the 2nd phase of the route to protect the railway from the water of the Khudafarin hydro junction, as the natural terrain lies below its maximum water level.
Construction of three tunnels continues in the 3rd phase, with 2 tunnels being built using a closed method and 1 with an open method. Excavation for the closed-method tunnels has been completed, and reinforced concrete work is nearing completion, while concrete and plaster work are progressing rapidly in the open-method tunnel.
Rail-sleeper frames have been installed along 75.6 kilometers of the railway, with overall construction progress at 67 percent," Alovsatov concluded.
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