Georgia implements 700m GEL project to modernise railway

Major changes are on the cards for Georgia's railway system as the country looks to modernise existing infrastructure to better use its transit potential. 

A new railway tunnel opened in western Georgia’s Kharagauli district today within the 700 million GEL Georgian Railway Modernisation project.

The 962m tunnel was opened by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, who said five more tunnels were due to open in the future.

"In order to fully use our country’s transit potential, alongside with ports, railway infrastructure should also meet international standards,” Garibashvili said, adding it was "crucial" to increasing cargo transit through Georgia.

"Georgia’s greatest strength is its location and we should use this potential wisely,” said the PM.

"Restoring the historic Silk Road can be possible with such projects.”

The Georgian Railway Modernisation project is due to finish in November 2019. Once finished Georgia’s railway will be able to transit about 65 million tonnes of cargo per year - three times more than today.

Meanwhile the project was believed to decrease ecological risks, increase safety and reduce the travel time from capital Tbilisi to Black Sea coastal city of Batumi by an hour.