GENERAL DIRECTOR OF SOUTH CAUCASUS RAILROAD DISCUSSES COOPERATION WITH GOVERNOR OF ARMAVIR REGION OF ARMENIA

/ARKA/
June 8, 2009
YEREVAN

General Director of South Caucasus Railroad closed joint stock company
Shevket Shaydulin met with the Governor of Armavir region of Armenia
Ashot Kaghramanyan Friday, the press service of the company told
ARKA Agency.

The sides discussed the raising of the role of railway transport in
the regional development and agreed to set up joint target groups
for a number of fields, including export of Armavir’s produce to
foreign market, development of railway communication, rehabilitation
of stations located in Armavir region and safety of train operation.

The General Director of South Caucasus Railroad cjsc introduced the
project for opening of Armavir-Yerevan railway communication. When
the operation is started, it will take only 50 minutes to get from
Armavir to Yerevan and back and electric trains will start from
Yerevan every three hours, Shaydulin said.

He pointed out the importance of launching the communication by the
start of the academic year.

Students provide 17% of passenger traffic of the company, Shaydulin
said.

"We intend to raise this number. Now we can speak about being prepared
to an open competition for passengers," he said.

The sides attached particular importance to train operation safety.

Shaydulin presented the company-implemented "Be careful – train!E2
campaign to the Governor.

"All unauthorized crossings will be closed as many of them pose a
real threat to safety of our citizens," Shaydulin said.

Ashot Kaghramanyan, in his turn, welcomed the approach and expressed
confidence that the joint efforts will help develop both the country
and the railway business.

"There is a mutual interest – this is the most important," Kaghramanyan
said.

South Caucasus Railroad fully owned by the Russian Railways is
the concession management operator of the Armenian Railways under a
30-year concession agreement signed on February 13 2008. The concession
agreement is signed for 30 years with an option for further extension
for 10 years.