Armenia-Turkey Border Opening to Weaken Georgian Transport Role

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By Asbarez Staff on Sep 25th

YEREVAN – The Russian owned South Caucasus Railway Company is ready to
resume railway transport between Armenia and Turkey,’ a high level
official from the company said Thursday, adding that the opening of
the border will diminish Georgia’s role as a transport corridor in the
region.

Speaking to reporters at a press briefing in Yerevan, Marat Khakov
said that the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border will decrease
reliance on freight transports through Georgia, which Russia favors.

`When Armenian-Turkish border is opened, Gyumri-Ayrum railway demand
will be reduced,’ he said.

Khakov said the company discussed the issue with the ministry of
Transport and Communication last week. He said the rail company is
ready to activate all rail lines linking the two countries within two
days once `corresponding political and technical agreements are made.’

He said the Russian-owned company plans on investing a total of 1.2
billion rubles in Armenia’s rail infrastructure.

It will also invest 600 million rubles over three years in the
development of rail track and facilities in Armenia and another 10
million rubles are earmarked for design and survey works, according to
Khakov.

He said that two refurbished locomotives will be introduced into the
company’s locomotive fleet this October and that halted railway
traffic between Gyumri and Vanadzor will be resumed in a few months.

Khakov also addressed the three railway accidents at the Masis and
Noragavit stations, as well as at the Tumanyan-Shaghali crossing. In
the first two cases, he explained, the accidents were caused by `a
human factor.’ In the third instance, Khakov said, the
Tumanyan-Shaghali line is the most in need of repair.

A technical diagnostics center to manage the development of Armenia’s
railways will be opened at the Masis station by next May, he added.