The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway is considered far more profitable than traditional maritime transportation; however, it has so far operated in test mode.
JSC Georgian Railway Director General David Peradze, based on information from the contracting company, says that the BTK will start functioning in late 2022. In Peradze's words, the BTK will prove useful for the transportation of people only after the construction of the railway ends, and it obtains all standard certificates.
High-risk cargo such as oil products is not transported via the BTK at this point. Despite the railway operating in test mode, its cargo turnover is increasing. In 2017, a total of 2,500 tons of cargo passed through the BTK corridor and 252 thousand tons in 2020.
"If compared 2020 to 2019, an around 116% increase can be noticed in cargo transportation, and we plan to double it at the end of the year," Davit Peradze said, adding that the railway line enjoys growing interest from Central Asian countries and Russia.
According to Director General David Peradze, in 2020, the railway saw a 2% increase in cargo transportation (11 mln cargo in total). Mr. Peradze also said that 5.5 mln tons of transit cargo were transported through Georgia's corridor. The director thinks that an upward trend in cargo transportation will be maintained, from 11 mln to 11.5 mln tons (around 3.4% growth).
Mr. Peradze underscored that the Georgian Railway operation runs smoothly, and all countries in the corridor must actively be involved in the process.
