Azerbaijan, Georgia establish joint venture to boost BTK railway operations

Azerbaijan Railways CJSC and Georgian operator Marabda-Kartsakhi Railway have established a joint venture - BTKI Railways LLC.

The new structure will provide management of the Marabda-Kartsakhi section of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, effectively organise freight traffic along BTK, attract new cargoes to BTK, the press service of the CJSC told Caliber.Az.

This will strengthen the potential of freight traffic along the Middle Corridor, as the BTC allows for fast and efficient freight traffic.

The Middle Corridor is a vital link connecting the container rail freight networks of China and the European Union through Central Asia, the Caucasus, Türkiye, and Eastern Europe. This corridor plays a crucial role in facilitating the flow of goods between China, Türkiye, and Europe in both directions.

This multilateral, multimodal transportation network integrates ferry terminals in the Caspian and Black Seas with the railway systems of several key countries, including China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye, Ukraine, and Poland.

One of the major advantages of the Middle Corridor is its efficiency, with goods travelling from China to Europe in just 20–25 days on average. This relatively short transit time makes the corridor an attractive option for international trade, enhancing connectivity and economic cooperation between the regions it traverses.