Azerbaijan, Baku, 6 March / Trend corr S. Aliyev/ Fifty trains will be purchased within the framework of the State Program for Development of Azerbaijan Railway for 2008-2011, the total cost of which will comprises AZN 1.252 bln, the chief engineer of the project Gurban Nazirov said on 6 March. Some 240km of the Baku-Boyuk Kasik railway (a section of the railway going to Georgia - 503km) will be also completely reconstructed during the first stage of the project.
According to Nazirov, reconstruction of the railway will increase the speed of trains to 100 km an hour from the present 80 km an hour. The reconstruction work is expected to be financed by the State.
The program also envisages sanctioning of the railway. The issue will be considered jointly with the consultant, whom the Azerbaijan State Railway will select by the end of March.
The project is estimated at $1.2bln. AZN 759 mln will be spent on the first stage, with $450 mln being credited by the World Bank. This year, the state investment program envisaged AZN 9mln for the project.
Presently, the program is being considered by the President. The program envisages reconstructing trains and train depots, improving the energy economy, reconstructing the railway economy and re-establishing other infrastructures.
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