BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 28. The
reconstruction of the Alat-Osmanli-Astara railway line sees rapid
progress, a source in the Azerbaijan Railways Closed Joint Stock
Company (CJSC) told Trend.
The source pointed out that the reconstruction work on the
Alat-Osmanli-Astara railway line, an important part of the
International North-South Transport Corridor, began in 2024.
“The repair work on this 245 km long stretch is being carried
out in four phases. The first phase covers the Alat-Osmanli
section, which is 60 km long. It includes the construction of 131
engineering structures, including three railway bridges, three road
overpasses, as well as animal crossings and culverts of various
sizes. The first phase also includes the reconstruction of three
stations (Yeni Alat, Shirvan, and Osmanli).
Currently, the concrete work for the overpass at the second km
is planned to be completed, and the construction of access roads
continues. Additionally, 50 percent of the existing railway has
been dismantled during the first phase, and the work is ongoing,”
the CJSC statement said.
It was emphasized that as part of the first phase, the
installation of a geo-grid (a mesh synthetic engineering material
designed to strengthen the soil layer, protect the soil from
erosion, and regulate water flow) is planned.
“This will help optimize costs. Moreover, the high groundwater
level may cause the railway track to sink. To prevent this, the use
of a geo-grid is recommended in international practice. The second
phase of the project includes the construction of two railway
bridges over the Kur River. Their construction was completed in
2023, and they are already in operation. Design work for the third
and fourth phases is ongoing.
The last major renovation of the Alat-Osmanli-Astara railway
line was carried out in the 1980s,” the statement said.
The construction work is planned to be completed by 2028.
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