Ahmet Arslan, Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications, participated in a test drive in the direction of Tbilisi-Kars as part of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) Railway Project.
Minister Arslan was accompanied by the Georgian Minister of Economic and Sustainable Development, Giorgi Gakharia, and the President of the Azerbaijan Railways Administration Cavid Gurbanov, along with the Turkish delegation in the test drive on the Tbilisi-Kars line.
Arslan, who answered the questions of journalists in the train, said that this project which is carried out by the three countries around the world is very important for the development of economic and human relations.
Arslan, referring to the feasibility studies of the project, said, “We are accompanied by a test in terms of testing that a train departing from Baku goes from Tbilisi to Kars without interruption. We see that all the shortcomings in the trips we made on July 19 were eliminated. After that, we have reached the stage of uninterrupted test transportation. I would like to thank my other ministers who made the project come to this day, and they realized a dream, a history. ” said.
“It was a process that looked like a dream”
BTK emphasized that the railway is an important project to strengthen the brotherhood and friendship of the Azeri, Georgian and Turkish peoples, Arslan continued:
“During the period of the Prime Minister of our President, the processes of the project started during our Prime Minister's Ministry. As a result of the negotiations between the three countries, this has become a dream process. As a bureaucrat, I had the chance to take part in this team. Since then, sometimes there were troubled processes, sometimes there were times when we hesitated whether we couldn't agree or not. We lived through when we negotiated with our bureaucrats until the morning. I know that the programs we started in the morning continue until the next morning. We also saw that the friendship of the three countries would reveal their will for such a project. ”
As a result of the studies initially 1 million, 6,5 million passengers are expected to be transported in the future processes, said Arslan, the first phase of the 3,5-4 million tons of the annual load-carrying capacity of 15-20 million tons in the future reported that they expect to reach.
“There is a load movement of 100 million tons”
Arslan stated that test drives will be carried out in the first stage of the freight transportation and added:
“It will take some time for the three countries and the neighboring countries to get used to this line and to load. It is not healthy to give figures today. It will serve all countries on the route between Asia and Europe in accordance with the expression 'one way, one generation'. There is a load movement expressed in 100 million tons from the sea and alternative routes. The project will be very advantageous compared to them. Our goal is 100 million tonnes of freight a significant proportion of the Movement of Azerbaijan, Georgia and help attain the target market via Turkey. With the advantage of time and tariff, non-economic transports will also become economical. This project will create new carrying capacities and will be advantageous for the loads that can go to new markets. We are very hopeful about the project. ”
Minister Arslan visited Ahılkelek Station after the trip and made examinations in the Border Tunnel.
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