All aboard for BTK Express
A “grand inauguration ceremony” was held today (30 October) at the new Port of Baku in Alat, Azerbaijan for the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway. The 846-km-long railway connects Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey and will play a pivotal role in the Middle Corridor as part of the greater One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative.
In a statement issued today, the Port of Baku said: “The newly inaugurated railway offers new opportunities for the transshipment of cargo from China and the Far East to the Mediterranean region and Europe over a shorter, faster land route (14-18 days).”
The inauguration ceremony draw a host of dignitaries, including the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Uzbekistan.
“The BTK is the shortest and most reliable route connecting Europe with Asia,” said Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.
“It’s planned to carry 5 million tons of cargo in the first stage and 17 million tons in the next stage.”
After the ceremony, the line’s first freight train set off from the Port of Baku on its four-day journey to Mersin in Turkey.
