In 1880, Azerbaijan laid the tracks for its first railway to fuel a global oil boom
The completion of the Baku-Sabunchu railway in 1880 transformed Azerbaijan into a global energy powerhouse, marking the birth of a transportation network that fueled the industrial revolution across Eurasia.
In 1880, Azerbaijan inaugurated its first railway line, a twenty-kilometer stretch connecting the oil-rich fields of Sabunchu to the refineries of Baku. While modest in length, this track was the heartbeat of a global oil boom. Before its construction, precious crude oil was transported in wooden barrels on horse-drawn carts, a slow process that couldn't keep up with the world's growing thirst for kerosene.
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