ONLY TWO COMPANIES SHOW INTEREST IN ARMENIAN RAILWAY
By M. Alkhazashvili
(Translated by Diana Dundua)

The Messenger, Georgia
Sept 27 2007

Only two companies-Indian Railways and Russian Railways-are vying
for the Armenian Railways tender, reports the Regnum news agency.

The financial condition of the two companies, as well as their
technical and practical expertise, will be taken into account before
they are permitted to partake in the tender, and a decision will be
announced on October 15.

The Armenian government announced in 2006 that it would lease JSC
Armenian Railway for 30 years with the possibility of extending the
term by a further 20 years.

According to Minister of Communication and Transport Andranik Manukian,
the company which secures the tender must put up an advance of USD
10 million, pay two percent of profit on cargo transportation to the
government, and invest USD 170 million over a ten-year period.