$9.7 MILLION INVESTED IN SOUTH CAUCASUS RAILWAY’S PASSENGER COMPLEX SINCE 2008

YEREVAN, March 4. /ARKA/. South Caucasus Railway CJSC has invested $9.7
million in passenger complex since 2008, Armenian Deputy Transport
and Communication Minister Arthur Arakelyan said today in Yerevan at
the 15th session of the passenger service commission of the Railway
Council of the Commonwealth of Independent States. In his words,
thanks to the company’s well-thought out concept that combines state
interests and investors’ benefit, it can be placed on record today
that railway traffic in Armenia has grown.

“For example, passenger traffic was 5.9 million passenger-kilometer
or 195% in 2014, compared with 2008, when the South Caucasus Railway
CJSC started running Armenia’s railway,” Arakelyan said.

Railway traffic services inside the country grew 33% and passenger
traffic was 23.6 passenger-kilometer or 140% in 2014, compared
with 2008.

On Gyumri section, where terrain is challenging, block speed rose
by 65.5%.

“The railway’s international passenger traffic has doubled since 2008
to 56,700 passengers or 206% in 2014,” Arakelyan said.

“The number of passengers carried by Yerevan-Batumi train has grown
five time to 46,000 in 2014. ”

He said 27 cars have been repaired and modernized and online sales
of Internet tickets have tripled.

There is also a wide range of ticket prices. Arakelyan said that after
Armenia joined the Eurasian Economic Union the country’s transport
services underwent substantial changes connected with the model of
relations between transport market players and states, competition
and mechanisms of interaction with businesses and companies providing
transportation services.

“Armenia’s transport and communication ministry jointly with the
South Caucasus Railway has worked out amendments to the railway law
and some other rules and submitted them to the government,” he said.

Speaking about regional priorities in medium term, he pointed out the
necessity of implementation of regional projects for development of
transport infrastructure.

South Caucasus Railway, a subsidiary of Russian Railways, runs
Armenian Railway, which was handed over to the South Caucasus Railway
on February 13, 2008 for 30-year concession management with a right
to prolong the management term for other ten years. –0—–