Azerbaijani and Georgian railway companies mull expansion of Baku–Tbilisi–Kars line

Azerbaijan and Georgia have discussed cooperation on the development of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars (BTK) railway line.

According to Report, the discussions took place in Baku during a meeting between Rovshan Rustamov, Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC (ADY), and Lasha Abashidze, the newly appointed CEO of Georgian Railways JSC.

The meeting addressed cooperation on the development of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway line, the importance of modernizing the Georgian segment, and its critical role in freight transportation as part of the Middle Corridor, ADY said in a statement.

The parties also exchanged views on enhancing the activities of the joint venture BTKI Railways LLC to more efficiently manage cargo operations along the BTK route. The line's annual freight capacity has been increased to 5 million tons, and efforts are underway to attract new cargo flows.

The current implementation stage of the roadmap signed in June this year and aimed at taking the cooperation to a new level was also discussed. It was noted that Azerbaijan and Georgia’s railway authorities are actively and constructively exchanging necessary information to coordinate and optimize joint operations.

The statement highlighted that establishing more efficient cooperation—both through working groups and regular bilateral meetings—would facilitate more effective freight transport along the East–West–East route through Azerbaijani and Georgian territories.

In addition, the meeting covered plans for the remainder of the year, including the rollout of a paperless documentation system for Middle Corridor freight operations and the launch of a Track and Trace cargo monitoring system.