The Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway project between Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia will begin operating in the second half of 2015. This according to Azerbaijan's Transportation Minister, Ziya Mammadov who made his comments at a bilateral cooperation council meeting in Baku on Monday. The project was originally due to be completed in 2010. The 826-kilometer railway will transport about 1 million passengers and some 6.5 million tons of freight in its initial stages. This capacity will later reach 3 million passengers and over 15 million tons of freight. Mammadov said at a press conference following the meeting, "We will carry out some tests at the Turkish border toward the end of 2014... the railway will be in service the second half of 2015." He also said the construction of a 400-meter tunnel at the Turkish and Georgian border is nearing completion. Daily Sabah / Kars