Baku–Tbilisi–Kars Railway Marks 8 Years, Boosts Middle Corridor Capacity

Published October 30, 2025 23:31

Eight years on, the BTK rail corridor boosts East–West trade and expands capacity across the Middle Corridor

The Baku–Tbilisi–Kars (BTK) railway marks its eighth anniversary, underscoring its role as the shortest land link from China to Europe via Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye.

Built to anchor the East–West transport corridor, the 850-kilometre line includes more than 500 km in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan’s State Oil Fund has allocated $745.9 mln to BTK-related works.

Modernisation on the Georgian section, completed in 2024, lifted annual handling capacity from 1 mln to 5 mln tons. Today the corridor moves about 6–8 mln tons of freight each year, with plans to reach 17 mln tons and carry 3 mln passengers in the coming years.

BTK strengthens Azerbaijan’s role as a regional logistics hub alongside the Baku International Sea Trade Port and the Alat Free Economic Zone, and offers Central Asian states an overland alternative to sea routes. Further extensions are planned toward Karabakh and Nakhchivan to deepen connectivity across the South Caucasus and the wider Middle Corridor.