Baku-Tbilisi-Kars – shortest Asia-Europe rail link launched in Azerbaijan; see images

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Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey launched a rail link between the countries aimed at cutting total journey times from China to Western Europe while bypassing Russia.

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In this photo Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev and Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili attend the inauguration ceremony of Baku – Tbilisi – Kars railway in Alyat, Azerbaijan. (Reuters Photo)

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The 826-kilometre (500-mile) railroad runs from Azerbaijan's capital Baku via the Georgian capital Tbilisi to the city of Kars in Turkey. (Reuters Photo)

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili also attended the opening. (Reuters Photo)

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After departing China, trains will cross Central Asian country of Kazakhstan before being transported by ferry across the Caspian Sea towards Baku and then heading to Western Europe via Georgia and Turkey. (Reuters Photo)

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The opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is a major step in transport interconnections linking the European Union, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Central Asia … along the ancient Silk Road, as this refers to a historical trade route from China. (Reuters Photo)

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BTK's initial capacity of five million tonnes of freight a year is expected to increase to 17 million tonnes within a year. The railway line whose construction cost over $1 billion will also transport up to one million passengers annually. (Reuters Photo)