Baku-Kars railroad construction to resume after March 15

PanARMENIAN.Net - The construction on Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project will restart in Georgia after March 15, Azerbaijan State Railway told APA. Azerbaijan State Railway said the construction in Georgia was suspended because of unfavorable weather in January. Design engineering and small-scale work was done during this period. Ukraine's KyivHiproTrans Research and Development Institute prepared the working drafts for reconstruction of Marabda-Tetriskaro section (29.2km) and Akhalkalak Station as part of its undertakings in Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway Project. The sides agreed on both projects.



Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey signed the final document on the construction of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars on February 8, 2007. The construction of the new railway in Georgia started on November 21, 2007. As per the agreement, Azerbaijan undertook to extend a $200mln loan to Georgia's Marabda-Kartsakhi Railroad LLC for 25 years at 1% interest rate annually. The loan will be spent on construction of a 29km long railroad in Georgia, a ST-2 wheel base in Turkish-Georgian border and rehabilitation of old railway.



The project costs more than $600 million. Azerbaijan's Azerinshaatservis Company constructs Georgian part of the railway. Construction of railroads is slated for operation in late 2011.



A 76km long railway will be laid in Turkey as part of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Rail Link