1. In early June, one of the most significant railway investments in the Eurasian region entered a new operational phase, following the completion of modernization work on the 180-km Marabda–Kartsakhi section—the part of the railway that crosses Georgia—and the construction of a bogie-changing terminal using state-of-the-art European technology and equipment.
2. Of the total length, 153 km of existing railway track has been modernized, and a section of over 30 km is a completely new line, built to European gauge, connecting the towns of Akhalkalaki and Kartsakhi in southern Georgia with the border of Turkiye.
3. Akhalkalaki is the main railway hub of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars project. This is where the transshipment terminal is located, where freight is transferred between the 1,520 mm gauge and the 1,435 mm gauge. Kartsakhi is situated right on the Georgian-Turkiye border, and this is where the new section built for the BTK project begins, connecting to the Turkiye railway network toward Kars.
4. Modernization work on the Georgian section of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway corridor was carried out in five stages, from Marabda to Kartsakhi, including the development of the logistics and railway complex at Akhalkalaki. As part of the project, 13 stations, 55 bridges, eight traction substations, and over 320 buildings and engineering structures were modernized, while new snow protection facilities, nearly 18 km of catenary, and modern train operation facilities were also constructed.
5. Following the completion of the works in Georgia, the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars corridor was reopened at full capacity, strengthening the role of the Middle Corridor as a strategic alternative for freight transport between Asia and Europe.
