Türkiye, Georgia, Azerbaijan launch full-capacity operations on BTK railway

Türkiye, Georgia and Azerbaijan on Tuesday marked the launch of full-capacity operations on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, a key freight and passenger link between Europe and China. The ceremony was held in the Georgian town of Akhalkalaki.

Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Azerbaijan's Digital Development and Transport Minister Rashad Nabiyev attended the event. Georgian Economy and Sustainable Development Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili was also present.

The BTK railway was launched in 2017 and is a vital segment of the Middle Corridor. The line reduces journey times between China and Europe to around 15 days, more than twice as fast as the sea route. It has the capacity to transport one million passengers and 5 million tons of freight. The link starts in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, stops in the Georgian capital Tbilisi, passes through gauge-changing facilities in Akhalkalaki and ends in the northeastern Turkish town of Kars.

"The Middle Corridor and its key component, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line, are not just regional transportation projects but strategic initiatives shaping the future of global connectivity," Uraloğlu said. He added that recent disruptions in critical maritime routes, supply chains and international trade networks had demonstrated the growing importance of overland transport corridors. "Land corridors are no longer merely alternatives; they have become strategic components of global trade and supply-chain resilience," he said.

Kobakhidze said the project demonstrates the robust strategic relations between the three countries. "This is a project of historical significance," he noted.

Nabiyev said the launch marked the beginning of a "new chapter" in the history of Eurasian connections. "We invested in the 184-kilometer section of the line that passes through Georgian territory. Thirteen stations, 55 bridges, eight traction substations, and more than 320 structures were constructed and put into service," he said. He described the line as the best transit route between the Caspian and Black Seas.

The three countries are also linked by the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas line. Trade links between Türkiye and the Caucasus region were limited before the BTK was inaugurated.