Georgia, Tbilisi, April 6 / Trend N.Kirtzkhalia /
Under the project of construction of Marabda-Kartsakhi branch line of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway a foundation of a new railway station in Akhalkalaki was laid.
The Georgian Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure, Ramaz Nikolaishvili, and the chairman of the Azer Road Service Joint Stock Company of the Azerbaijani Transport Ministry, Javid Gurbanov, inspected current work under the project of construction-rehabilitation of Marabda-Tetritskaro-Tsalka-Akhalkalaki-Kartsakhi branch line on Friday. They attended laying of the foundation of a new railway station and met with the workers.
Nikolaishvili said the project of construction-rehabilitation of Marabda-Tetritskaro-Tsalka-Akhalkalaki-Kartsakhi branch line is carried out in three stages. The 29-kilometer section of Marabda-Tetritskaro has already been completed, rehabilitation of the station of Nine brothers held, Kirbulakh railway bridge is being built, construction of the Kartsakhi station is nearing completion. Also a new 25-mile branch at the Akhalkalaki-Kartsa section is being built in the continuous mode.
The minister said the new railway line will in all respects conform to international standards.
"After completion of the Akhalkalaki station 550 people will work here, and on the Marabda-Kartsa entire section - about 4000, most - local people," said Nikolaishvili.
Construction of the Georgian segment is financed by Azerbaijan, which allocated $580 million in soft loan to Georgia.
The total capacity of the BTK road will be up to 15 million tons of cargo. It will be an alternative to the Trans-Siberian Railway, which occupies a monopoly position in the railway transport between major countries in Asia and Europe. After the commissioning of a tunnel passing under the Turkish straits, unobstructed movement of trains from China to Europe up to London will be available.
Azerbaijani Azerinsaatservis company constructs the Georgian section. Commissioning of the road is scheduled for late 2012.