BTK at full capacity: 1 → 5 Mt, bottleneck moves into Türkiye

On 2 June 2026 officials marked full-capacity operation of Baku–Tbilisi–Kars (BTK) at Akhalkalaki. The line opened in 2017, but the Georgian section limited throughput; after modernization, planned annual freight capacity is cited at about 5 million tons (up from ~1 million). Coverage (Daily Sabah, Civil Georgia, News.az) points to ~184 km of Georgian works, stations, bridges, traction assets and gauge-change facilities. Corridor reviews also flag Türkiye’s Divriği–Kars stretch as the next capacity constraint, with longer-term electrification/upgrades still underway. For OOG/project cargo: BTK capacity helps Caucasus rail slots after the Caspian — it does not erase the Turkish leg or road haul where rail cannot take the gauge.