Zangilan: The first stage of the construction of the Horadiz-Aghband railway line, which includes the Horadiz-Yukhari Marjanli-Shukurbayli-Soltanli settlements, is nearing completion, as revealed by Javad Alovsatov, construction manager of the Construction Project Management Department of ‘Azerbaijan Railways’ CJSC. This announcement was made during a media tour of the Aghband settlement in the Zangilan district.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the majority of work on this stage has been finalized, enabling cargo transportation to the Araz Economic Industrial Park via rail. The second stage, which involves the Soltanli-Gumlag-Hakari-Minchivan stations, is currently underway. This phase includes earthworks and the construction of engineering structures, such as various types of bridges and protective reinforcement structures. Notably, Azerbaijan’s longest railway bridge, spanning 771 meters with 23 spans, has been completed during this stage.

Alovsatov also highlighted that work on the third stage of the project is actively progressing. This includes the construction of three tunnels and a gallery, with 71% of construction and insulation works in the tunnels already finished. Given the steep and rocky terrain at the 99th kilometer of the railway line, a gallery was constructed to mitigate the risk of rock falls. The gallery stretches 108 meters and is built from monolithic reinforced concrete.

The total length of the Horadiz-Aghband railway line is 110.4 kilometers, extending to 140.6 kilometers including side roads. Currently, track structures have been installed over a 66 km stretch, with the overall physical work on the project being 68% completed. Alovsatov mentioned that the project’s final completion date is contingent on various technical and organizational factors, and thus, an exact date has yet to be determined.