-To MINIMIZE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN EAST AND WEST!
BAKU-TBILISI-KARS RAILWAY WHICH WILL MINIMIZE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN EAST
AND WEST IS NOW OPERATIONAL
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway has ceremoniously gone into service. Its first train
just pulled out of the New Port of Baku on 30th of October 2017
making its first official run across Azerbaijan and Georgia to the east
of Turkey. The Presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey along with the
prime ministers of Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and other
high-level officials participated at the commencement gala and symbolically
drove in the final railroad spikes. They became the first passengers of BTK railway.
As one of the land routes in the scope of China's One Belt One Road
initiative passes through Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey
the railway projects being launched in the scope of the "Iron Silk
Road" have gained significance as they are connecting the regions.
In this context, the BTK railway project was initiated in 2005 and
decisive action was taken in 2007, when the leaders of Azerbaijan,
Georgia, and Turkey met in Tbilisi and signed an agreement to make
it a reality. Ten years later, the
846-kilometer long trade route has been commissioned.
BTK line will make the region an important center on the new Silk
Road, which begins in Far East and ends in Western Europe. Turkey,
Georgia, and Azerbaijan will benefit from a more efficient transit
route and other users will profit from a shorter and safer transit
route. Via the BTK, goods will be able to reach Europe heading
from South Korea, China, and India within 15-20 days at most.
BTK rail line has capacity for one million passengers and five million
tons of cargo per year — the latter of which is slated to increase to
50 million tons when a parallel track is constructed in the near future.
79 kilometers of the BTK railway passes through Turkey, 246 kilometers
through Georgia and 504 kilometers through Azerbaijan. Financing
for this railway was completely fronted by Azerbaijan and Turkey.