BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 29. The issue of increasing the volume of cargo transportation on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) line was discussed between Azerbaijan and Georgia today, the statement of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC (ADY) says, Trend reports.
The discussion was held during the meeting of Rovshan Rustamov, Chairman of ADY, one of the AZCON Holding companies, with General Director of Georgian Railways CJSC Lasha Abashidze and Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Tamara Ioseliani in Tbilisi.
The meeting also discussed the current state and prospects of cooperation in the field of railway transport between the two countries.
Additionally, the meeting noted that cooperation between Georgia and Azerbaijan in boosting the Middle Corridor's competitiveness and attracting additional cargo continued successfully.
The meeting paid special attention to the issues of the full completion of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway line project, the signing of the final act on the handover of the BTK railway, and increasing the volume of cargo transportation on this line.
The ADY has successfully completed the repair, rehabilitation, and modernization work on the 184-kilometer section of the BTK line passing through Georgia with complex geographical relief, raising the annual cargo capacity of the line from one million tons to five million tons. The main goal of the modernization of this railway line is to increase the competitiveness of the Middle Corridor and turn the BTK into one of the main cargo arteries of the corridor.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, an 826–850 km corridor connecting Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye, was opened in October 2017. It serves as a crucial rail link between Asia and Europe, reducing transport time to 15 days and forming an integral part of the Middle Corridor to promote regional trade.
The railway covers approximately 500 km in Azerbaijan, 263 km in Georgia, and 79 km in Türkiye and connects Central Asian rail networks with Europe, providing a quicker alternative to maritime routes. Following upgrades in 2024, the projected capacity is set to handle 17 million tons of cargo annually, with the goal of enhancing economic cooperation and transit potential.
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