The Georgian Railway will be able to handle 48 million tons of cargo per year after the completion of the modernization project, - according to Davit Peradze, director of Georgian Railway. As he notes, the company can currently handle 27 million tons per year, of which its annual load totals to 12-13 million tons.
The railway modernization project itself started in 2011 and it provides construction of a new tunnel and a new 38-kilometer highway on the Rikoti section. The cost of the project is USD 250 million. Its completion dates have been delayed several times and according to the latest information, the modernization process will be completed in 1-1.5 years.
According to Davit Peradze, in order for Georgia to serve the increased transit flows, it is important to renew the fleet of locomotives and wagons, as well as to rehabilitate the railway tracks.
"Currently, the Georgian Railway has the capacity to handle about 27 million tons of cargo. Of course, there will always be some delays when it comes to new cargo. We have been working on this for two months and have meetings with our colleagues and administrations. At this stage we do not see any delays. Today, we want to have the guaranteed cargo in the corridor, which will remain in our corridor even after the lifting of sanctions.
For 4 years, the growth trend of the Georgian Railway has not stopped, in 2021 a record rate of 10% increase was observed in shipping. At this stage we are carrying 12-13 million tons and half of the capacity has already been utilized.
Upon completion of the modernization process, this figure will increase to 48 million tons. All business entities in the corridor should invest in their ports and terminals. We also have a challenge, we will need to add locomotives, as well as upgrade the park and further improve the railway tracks, "- said David Peradze.
