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Construction on Baku-Tbilisi-Kars sees partial delays due to bad weather

Business Materials 14 January 2013 20:06 (UTC +04:00)

Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 14 / Trend E.Ismayilov /

Works on laying railway in Georgia for the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway construction project was temporarily suspended, the spokesman of Azerbaijan Railways Nadir Azmammadov told Trend.

According to him, the suspension of construction is due to weather conditions. Despite suspension of work on track laying, the construction of stations and their internal design is still in progress.

"Despite bad weather conditions, work has not been completely stopped. Non-field work is still in progress. With improved weather conditions, work on track laying will continue", Azmammadov said.

According to him, works on the construction of a new railway line will continue during the year, and in 2014 the project will be fully commissioned.

The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is being constructed via a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement.

Azerbaijan provided a loan to the sum of $775 million for the construction of the Georgian section. Funding for this project from the State Oil Fund is being carried out in accordance with the presidential decree 'On implementation of measures within Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project', dating 21 February 2007. Since the beginning the project and up until October 1, 2012 the State Oil Fund has allocated $403.3 million.

Plans to construct a new 105-kilometre branch railroad as part of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project exist. In addition, the section of the Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Marabda railway will be reconstructed in Georgia which will increase its capacity to 15 million tons of cargo per year. It is planned to build a centre in Akhalkalaki for the transition of trains from the existing train tracks in Georgia to the European one.

Peak capacity of the corridor will be 17 million tons of cargo. This figure will be at the level of one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of cargo in the initial stages.

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