BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 28. The reconstruction of the Alat-Osmanli-Astara railway line sees rapid progress, a source in the Azerbaijan Railways Closed Joint Stock Company (CJSC) told Trend.
The source pointed out that the reconstruction work on the Alat-Osmanli-Astara railway line, an important part of the International North-South Transport Corridor, began in 2024.
"The repair work on this 245 km long stretch is being carried out in four phases. The first phase covers the Alat-Osmanli section, which is 60 km long. It includes the construction of 131 engineering structures, including three railway bridges, three road overpasses, as well as animal crossings and culverts of various sizes. The first phase also includes the reconstruction of three stations (Yeni Alat, Shirvan, and Osmanli).
Currently, the concrete work for the overpass at the second km is planned to be completed, and the construction of access roads continues. Additionally, 50 percent of the existing railway has been dismantled during the first phase, and the work is ongoing," the CJSC statement said.
It was emphasized that as part of the first phase, the installation of a geo-grid (a mesh synthetic engineering material designed to strengthen the soil layer, protect the soil from erosion, and regulate water flow) is planned.
"This will help optimize costs. Moreover, the high groundwater level may cause the railway track to sink. To prevent this, the use of a geo-grid is recommended in international practice. The second phase of the project includes the construction of two railway bridges over the Kur River. Their construction was completed in 2023, and they are already in operation. Design work for the third and fourth phases is ongoing.
The last major renovation of the Alat-Osmanli-Astara railway line was carried out in the 1980s," the statement said.
The construction work is planned to be completed by 2028.
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