Georgia receives first cargo train from China

Georgia is celebrating the arrival of the first cargo train from China, which will bring millions of dollars to the local economy and encourage trade between China, Georgia and the rest of Europe.

The train departed China in late January and travelled on the new railway track to Georgia as part of the joint project between Worldwide Energy Logistics Ltd (WELL) and Kedentranservice.

The project will allow cargo to be more easily transported between China and Georgia and will contribute an additional inflow of $100-120 million USD to the Georgian economy, announced Georgian Railway officials.

This is a historical fact. Through the rail shipment between Georgia and China, cargo will be transported smoothly from China to Georgia’s Black Sea ports in a shorter time. Further cargo transportation will be provided to the [rest of] Europe as well as Mediterranean and Black Sea countries,” Georgian Railway announced.

The project was officially presented today by Georgian Railway officials at the Varketili container terminal, where Georgia’s Economy Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, president of the Partnership Fund Irakli Kovzanadze and the Ambassadors of China, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan attended.

The Trans-Asian-Caucasian train will reduce transit duration by five times. By sea a shipment may take 40-45 days however by rail it is now possible to transport cargo in about nine days.

The new train line will facilitate easier transport of cargo from China to Europe through Georgia, which increases Georgia’s importance as a transit country.

The train was loaded in China on January 29 and was unloaded in Georgia on February 6, Officials did not state the train’s cargo.

WELL, a Chinese company, provides comprehensive freight forwarding, supply chain and project management handling service for both international and domestic services, while Kedentranservice is an operator of logistics terminals based in Kazakhstan.

The project’s success was the result of tight cooperation between Georgian, Kazakh and Azerbaijani railways.