Azerbaijan and Georgia establish joint venture to manage Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway

Georgia and Azerbaijan have established a joint venture, BTKI Railways, to manage the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway's section from Marabda in Georgia to Kartsakhi near the border of Turkey, the Azerbaijan Railways said.

"The BTKI Railways was established by the subsidiary companies of Azerbaijan Railways and Marabda-Kartsakhi Railways based on the international agreement signed between the two countries," the statement reads.

The new company is also tasked to boost cargo efficiency on BTK and enhance the Middle Corridor's potential.

The length of the Georgian section of the new Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line - connecting Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey - is 180 km, which includes a 27-km long railway track of European standards. The freight carrying capacity was five million tonnes annually.