Azerbaijan, Baku, October 23/Trend, E.Kosolapova/
The Georgian Railway JSC has begun implementation of a project for construction of a high-speed railway that will increase the capacity of Georgia's railway to 40 million tons of cargo per year, Head of Transport Policy Department of Georgian Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development Ketevan Salukvadze told Trend on Wednesday.
"It is planned to implement this project by 2016-2017," she said.
According to the department head, alongside increasing the capacity, the new project is also designed to ensure the maximum security of the railway and decrease the time of cargo transportation.
Salukvadze stressed that in order to achieve these goals, the modernisation of the current railway infrastructure, as well as the construction of a new railway line will be implemented within the project. A new railway tunnel running to a 10 kilometre length and equipped with a modern signalling system will be a part of this line.
Talking about the realisation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project, the representative of Georgian Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development said that in accordance with the current work schedule, the Georgian section of this railway will be completed in 2015.
According to her, within this project to date, some 78 per cent of the work in the first section (Marabda- Tetritskaro), 54 per cent of work in the second section (Tetritskaro-Tsalka), 23 per cent of work in the third section (Tsalka-Akhalkalaki), nine per cent of work in the fourth section (train station), 39 per cent of work in the railway station and 33 per cent of work in the fifth section of the railway (Akhalkalaki-Kartsakhi) was complete.
Salukvadze said the total cost of this project in Georgia amounts to $767 million.
It is planned to construct a new 105 kilometer branch of the railway. Moreover, the Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Marabda railway in Georgia will be reconstructed, which will increase its capacity to 15 million tons of cargo per year. It is also planned to construct a station for transporting trains from the existing tracks in Georgia to the European one.
As it is expected, 30 million tons of cargo per year will be transported via the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars highway, which will have a direct way to the European railway network.
With completion of the "Marmaray" project (the construction of tunnel under Bosphorus) realization, a way to Europe will be provided via Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway.