TBILISI, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The upgraded Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway was officially launched on Tuesday following the modernization of the Georgian section, local media reported.
According to Georgia's Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, the official launch ceremony marks the railway's transition from test mode to full operation after the completion of reconstruction works on the Georgian segment. The upgrades have increased the corridor's annual freight capacity fivefold, from 1 million to 5 million tonnes.
The railway links Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, with the Turkish city of Kars via Tbilisi and serves as a key component of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, commonly known as the Middle Corridor.
The Georgian segment extends 180 kilometers from Marabda to the Turkish border. Under a modernization program carried out between May 2023 and May 2024, 153 kilometers of existing track were rehabilitated and a new 27-kilometer section was constructed.
At the inauguration ceremony, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze described the railway as a project of historic significance and a vivid example of strategic partnership among Georgia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye.
Construction of the BTK railway began in 2007, and the line was initially inaugurated in 2017. Spanning approximately 850 kilometers, the railway is regarded as one of the shortest overland transport routes linking Asia and Europe. ■
