Georgian Railway Dir/Gen: Georgia plays one of most important roles in Middle Corridor

Georgia plays one of the most important roles in the Middle Corridor, connecting Central Asian countries with European markets while also providing direct access to the Black Sea, Georgian Railway Director General Lasha Abashidze said.

According to Abashidze, Georgia operates in a competitive environment.

“That is why, as you can see, cargo flows have increased. We expect to have a record year in terms of transportation. We already have the highest figures in 15 years. That is why significant investments are being made in the railway,” Abashidze said.

He said Georgian Railway has a plan to significantly improve its infrastructure and operations.

“We have a plan to substantially improve Georgian Railway. This will be a fundamental improvement. We are fully renewing our locomotive fleet, purchasing new electric locomotives and adding new capacity. We have already purchased new freight wagons and are adding more freight wagons — this is one of the most critical needs for Georgian Railway. We are responding to all challenges and will fundamentally transform the company, with significant improvements in the near future,” Abashidze said.

Speaking about the Anaklia Port, Abashidze said the new port capacity would be a turning point for the Middle Corridor.

“There will be additional capacity for processing cargo and transporting it by sea. According to the studies we are seeing, the Middle Corridor is expected to grow twofold to threefold in the coming years. Accordingly, this new port capacity will ensure that the necessary cargo throughput can be handled,” he said.

Abashidze said Anaklia Port would be important not only for Georgia but for the entire Middle Corridor and Central Asian countries.

“That is why Anaklia Port is not only very important for Georgia but also critical for the Middle Corridor as a whole and for all the countries of Central Asia. There is considerable interest and high expectations regarding Anaklia Port,” he said.

According to Abashidze, Georgian Railway is working with the World Bank and plans to announce a tender this year for the construction of the railway connection to the port.

“Accordingly, in the near future, we plan and are working together with the World Bank to announce a tender this year and begin work on the access railway. This will be completely new railway infrastructure. We are building new stations and new railway infrastructure, including tracks and all the associated infrastructure, which will be fully modern,” Abashidze said.