Tbilisi railway bypass to be completed in 2013

It will be possible to complete the Tbilisi bypass and fast railway projects without additional resources, CEO of Georgian Railway Irakli Ezugbaya said at a press conference adding that the company won't take out a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Georgian Railways has invested 140 million lari ($ 1 = 1.66 lari) in the construction of the Tbilisi bypass railway and 92 million lari for the construction of the high speed railway in 2011.

"The work for 200 million lari is planned to be implemented by 2012 as part of these projects. The company's revenues make it possible to carry them out without additional funding. The bypass project will be completed in 2013," Mr Ezugbaya said.

The transportation of goods will be fully serviceable through the bypass road and passenger trains will move in two directions. Passengers, who wish to go west, will use the Didube station and those going the east will use Navtlugi station. The construction and revamping of these stations is underway at the moment.

Mr Ezugbaya noted that the company bought 980 ground areas for the project with more than 22 million lari having been paid to owners as compensation. The high speed railway aims to enable travel from Batumi to Tbilisi in just three hours, providing a complete modernisation of railway lines, laying of new rails and upgrading the infrastructure.


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