Train Transports Cargo to China via Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway for the First Time

On December 8, for the first time, cargo was transported to China via the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. The train, which departed from Istanbul, Turkey on December 4, entered Georgia late in the evening. This was reported by the Georgian First Channel, citing information from the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia.

“This event is unprecedented, as until now, cargo was transported from China to Europe through the Middle Transport Corridor,” the ministry notes.

According to them, the train, which is set to reach Xi'an Province in China through the Middle Railway Corridor (which includes the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway), will cover 8,693 kilometers in 12 days.

The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway passing through Georgia is a new route, part of the corridor that connects Europe and Asia. This railway line has been operating in test mode since 2017. From January to October 2020, the number of containers transported from/to Georgia via the Middle Corridor amounted to 2,343 TEU, which is 35.1 percent more than during the same period in 2019 (1,734 TEU). Among them, 1,260 TEU were transported via BTK during the same timeframe in 2020, which demonstrates an increase of 371.9 percent compared to 2019 (267 TEU).

The corridor through Georgia stands out not only due to the geographical advantages but also because of developed infrastructures and institutional systems. Moreover, the development of the corridor is not just about infrastructure arrangements; it needs to be accompanied by simplified and digitized customs and border crossing procedures, which is our unconditional advantage. Additionally, it includes opportunities for diversifying the supply chain in Georgia, expressed in the existence of maritime, land, and railway connections with neighboring countries.

Furthermore, work has begun within the country (including ports) to address the digitalization of transport systems along the transport corridor. The aforementioned projects and actions are crucial for enhancing the competitiveness of transportation corridors to Georgia,” the statement from the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia reads.