Iron Silk Road

The Importance of the Corridor

Thousands of years ago, the “Great Silk Road” connected the greatest civilizations located in different parts of Eurasia. Even in that ancient era, communication was a means not only of production, but also of the exchange of technologies, ideas, discoveries, and the spread of values.

In 1998, at the initiative of Senator Brownback, the US Senate adopted a resolution in support of the “New Silk Road”. As in the ancient era, the goal of this project is to find the shortest and fastest alternative routes to connect with the rapidly growing markets of Asia, diversify communications, spread technologies, and ensure a stable supply of energy.

Within the framework of the “New Silk Road”, the TRACECA, as well as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan “Great Oil Pipeline” and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum “Great Gas Pipeline” highways are already operating, which have significantly changed the economic reality in the Caspian-Black Sea region, created new conditions for development and strengthened the energy security not only of the countries of this region, but also of Europe.

Today, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is being added, which is rightly called the “Iron Silk Road”. It connects China and the countries of Central Asia with Europe and vice versa by the shortest route.

The Global Infrastructure Leadership Forum is held annually in New York, USA, which is a marketplace for strategic projects and aims to identify the 100 best global infrastructure projects. It was at this forum in January 2011 that the construction of the “Iron Silk Road”, which is being implemented by the Marabda-Kartsakhi railway, was named among the 100 global projects of the world. As for the cost of the project, we are talking about approximately a billion dollars. This is a very large-scale project in terms of costs. Regular transport will soon begin on this route and the results will soon be visible.

Georgian section

Akhalkalaki -On the new Kartsakhi section, 26.142 km of European standard 1435 mm wide track was laid on concrete sleepers. 53 artificial structures were built, including 5 bridges, including the bridge over the Kirbulakh River, which has no analogues in the post-Soviet space.

On the Tsalka-Akhalkalaki section, 74 km of track were rehabilitated, including 55.829 km with side tracks. Out of 149 artificial structures on the mentioned section, 133 artificial structures were rehabilitated - reconstructed. New ones were built: 4 overpasses, 8 concrete retaining walls, 4 snow-retaining galleries with a total length of 2.5 km. Overpasses and galleries were built with galvanized corrugated metal structures.

On the Tetritskaro-Tsalka section, a 49.7 km long track was rehabilitated, including 37.6 km with side tracks. A turnpike was arranged on this section, the length of which is 3.7 km of track. Out of 114 artificial structures on the Tetritskaro-Tsalka section, 103 artificial structures were rehabilitated and reconstructed. New ones were built: 3 overpasses, 4 reinforced concrete pipes, 1 concrete retaining wall, 1 bridge, 1 landslide prevention structure. 3 overpasses were built using the latest technologies, with galvanized corrugated metal structures.

The construction of a 154 m long double-track railway bridge over the Kirkhbulakh River (in Akhalkalaki) was completed. The construction of technical, customs and border service buildings at Kartsakhi station has also been completed. 51 artificial structures have been built (including 3 bridges), the main works on the arrangement of the earth embankment have been completed, 21.6 km of parallel tracks have been laid. The construction of 4 new overpasses has been completed; 26 sets of UIC-60 type 1/11 brand complete conductors were installed at the station "Kartsakhi"; the construction of the 10 KV overhead line of the external power supply of the station Kartsakhi was completed.

Akhalkalaki Station

The construction and structural parts of the station building, interior and exterior finishing works, installation works of internal engineering networks, heating-ventilation-conditioning systems; vertical planning and improvement works of the territory.

The construction of concrete yards for container and bulk cargo in the freight area has been completed, a 40-ton container crane has been installed; 9 km of various-purpose railway tracks have been laid and 37 sets of complete switches have been installed; the construction of the traction substation building has been completed; construction works of railway and automobile scales have been completed; construction works of underground communications, a wagon trolley changing point and other main engineering and technical buildings are being completed. 2 jib cranes have been installed at the freight wagon trolley changing point.

Akhalkalaki is already adorned with a beautiful railway station building of European standards, modern architecture, designed by the world-famous German architect Jürgen Meyer. Soon, Akhalkalaki station will provide both freight and passenger transportation. The latest, modern trains will run on the Baku-Tbilisi-Istanbul railway route.

Construction work on the Georgia-Turkey border (railway) tunnel has been completed. Its total length is 4,470 meters, including 2,070 meters on the territory of Georgia; the main works on the construction of the gallery (240 meters) adjacent to the tunnel portal and the construction of the mining channel have been completed; the laying of the track from Kartsakhi station to the Turkish border (2.4 km) has been completed.

Since the beginning of construction on the Marabda-Akhalkalaki section, 156.7 km of new track have been laid; Out of 318 artificial structures, 298 structures were rehabilitated. 5950 meters of curbs were laid, 5 gabion walls were built; 21 new 1/11-R65 and 6 comp. R65-1/9 type complete switches were laid; 150 km of side track was laid; 10 railway station buildings were reconstructed; microprocessor centralization (MPC) cable networks and post equipment were installed at Tskhradzmi, Tsintskaro and Tetritskaro stations; 333 km of fiber-optic cable was laid on the track, communication equipment was installed at 11 stations and signaling post equipment at 3 stations; Installation of equipment, commissioning and commissioning works have been completed in all 7 electric traction substations and are in working condition; more than 3,500 contact network towers have been erected, 153 km of contact network has been installed and 153 km of contact network has been adjusted. Polyethylene pipes with a diameter of d= 63 mm for cables have been installed in snow protection galleries No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5, a total of 8,000 meters.

In January 2015, the initial passage of the test-working train to the station "Kartsakh" took place;

In February 2016, a test freight train passed through the Marabda - Akhalkalaki section.

On September 27, 2017, a test passenger train passed through the Marabda - Akhalkalaki - Kartsakhi section.

On November 2, 2017, a test freight train loaded with 30 containers passed through the Marabda - Akhalkalaki - Kartsakhi section for the first time.

On the Marabda - Tetritskaro section, 29.2 km of track was rehabilitated, including 23.965 km of track with side ties. A turnout was arranged on this section, the length of which is 5.1 km. Out of 56 artificial structures existing in the Marabda Tetritskaro section, 50 were rehabilitated and reconstructed. New ones were built: 2 overpasses, 4 concrete pipes, 1 concrete retaining wall.

35 bridges were built and renovated on the new railway line.

According to the project, the construction of the following stations was completed throughout the entire territory of the railway:

Station “Tskhra Dzma”

Station “Tsintskaro”

Station “Tetritskaro”

Station “Nadarbazevi”

Station “Bedeni”

Station “Tsalka”

Station “Trialeti”

Station “Taparavani”

Station “Pokani”

Station “Ninotsminda”

Station “Kartsakhi”

Akhalkalaki International Railway Station is the main railway hub of the region, which fully meets modern requirements. standards. The station is located at an altitude of 1800 m. above sea level and its total area is 102 hectares.

Info: mkr.ge