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Armenia-Turkey cargo traffic increases: SCR
15:06 / 09/25/2009

South Caucasus Railways (SCR) has no forecast on the increase of
investments in railway infrastructure with Armenian-Turkish border
opening, Marat Khakov, Deputy General Director of South Caucasus
Railways CJSC stated at the press-conference in Yerevan.

According to him, the SCR management has not discussed this issue
yet. Khakov underlined that SCR seeks to increase input at the expense
of private investments. As to U.S. $603m to be additionally allocated
to the development of Armenian railways with the border opening
(earlier voiced by RA Transport and Communications Minister Andranik
Margaryan and SCR General Director Yakunin), Khakov said he is not
privy to that information.

Deputy General Director informed that SCR will be able to run
Armenia-Turkey trains at 10-15km/h depending on the railway
conditions.

Initially, cargo traffic from Armenia will total 1-2m tons, resulting
in Armenia-Georgia cargo freight reduction by 25-30%.
October 1, South Caucasus Railways CJSC and Georgian Railway LLC will
hold a meeting. `The focal point of the meeting is to establish
full-fledged cooperation between SCR and Georgian Railway,’ Khakov
concluded.