Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 16
By Huseyn Valiyev - Trend:
The Chinese Ministry of Railway Transport guaranteed transportation of 10 million tons of cargo by the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, Azerbaijani Minister of Transport Ziya Mammadov said at a meeting with his Polish counterpart Slawomir Nowak in Baku on Thursday.
According to him, after the railway is commissioned, the cargo transportation volume will reach five million tons per year for the first five years. This figure will be increased to 15 million tons a year next years.
"The new Eurasian transport corridor will be commissioned in early 2015," the minister said. "Currently, the operations on laying a new 26.5 kilometer railway and the modernization of the old 153 kilometer track are underway in Georgia. The length of the line is 76 kilometers in Turkey. Two thirds of the total length falls to the tunnels. The construction operations will be completed by the end of 2014."
Azerbaijan delivered a loan worth $775 million for the construction of the Georgian section of the railway. This project is being financed by the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan upon the Azerbaijani presidential decree on the 'Implementation of measures within Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project' dated February 21, 2007.
The project is of an international character. The goods from Asia to Europe will be transported via the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway.
"The official agreement was reached with Kazakhstan to join the project," the minister said. "Currently, a new railway line between Kazakhstan and China is being constructed. As it is known, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line will consist of a single railway line. The railway yards will be built along the line. However, if the cargo transportation volume increases in the future, then it is possible for another branch to be built."