Russian Railways appeals to countries in Caucasus to unblock railroads

RosBusinessConsulting, Russia
Sept 10 2004

RBC, 10.09.2004, Sukhumi 18:25:13.Russian Railways has appealed
to politicians in the countries of the Caucasus to make a decision
to unblock the railroads in the region, Russian Railways President
Gennady Fadeyev declared at the opening of regular service on the
Sukhumi-Moscow route. According to him, the railroads in Abkhazia
had been out of use over the previous 12 years, which has resulted in
a decrease in the volume of passenger and freight transportation to
Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, causing losses reaching billions of
dollars. “Economic development of any country is impossible without
the development of railway services, as transportation by rail is
the cheapest way to deliver freight,” Fadeyev pointed out.

Only passenger services have so far been opened on the Sukhumi-Moscow
route. However, talks are being held with the government of Abkhazia
to resume freight transportation in 2005. Fadeyev remarked that 18
trains a day used to go via Sukhumi in both directions before 1992.