Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway Carries 184,000 tons of freight

Inaugurated in October 2017, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) Railway has carried 184,000 tons of freight, while 17,500 tons of it has been sent via Turkey.

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Cahit Turhan said the rate of freight carried on the BTK in overall international cargo handling was 6.8 percent last year. The train traveled on the 1,974-kilometer railway track on the Turkish side in 57.5 hours.

The BTK railway line, which links all the roads reaching the country from China and Central Asia, is of crucial importance in terms of infrastructure.

This project connects not only three countries, but also the U.K., France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and China. The 829-kilometer railway line, extending from Baku to Kars, complements a major part of the Middle Corridor with the Caspian Pass line.

Indicating that the significance of the project will be understood much better in upcoming years, Turhan noted: "This is because the trade volume between China and Europe has reached $1.5 billion per day. This trade flow is expected to continue to increase and will exceed $2 billion per day over the next 5-6 years."