Feature Developments at Georgian Railway Developments at Georgian Railway Teimuraz Gorshkov and George Bagaturia proposed in the 1830s when it was it was shipped to world markets. The last History of Georgian Railway realized that a railway from Poti on the major line between Georgia and Armenia Black Sea to Tbilisi (the capital of Georgia) was opened in 1899. Georgian Railway (GRW) Ltd. is located could carry a great deal of the trade Rapid development of Georgian industry in the South Caucasus at a key point on between northern Iran and Europe, and agriculture between 1924 and 1940 the ancient Silk Road between Europe and especially since it would be only half as was followed by construction of new Asia (Fig. 1). The Silk Road was more than long as a railway through Turkey. branch lines throughout the Georgian a trade route—it was a conduit for Construction of the first Trans-Caucasus regions. A connection with the Russian exchange of knowledge and culture that line started in 1865 and the first passenger railway network was begun during WWII contributed to the development of all train from Poti arrived at Tbilisi on 10 and opened in 1946 despite the war. countries in the region. Today’s GRW October 1872, marking the birth of GRW. Completion of the network between Baku, network has a similar function to the Silk The first trains covered the 310-km Tbilisi, and Batumi had a positive effect Road by serving as a transport artery journey in 15 hours. The next 20 years on the economies of Georgia and the linking the Black and Caspian seas. It is saw construction of the main line through South Caucasus. In the 1870s, Batumi the backbone of the Georgian economy, west Georgia and the difficult mountain was a major exporter of wool, cotton, but, most importantly, it is the shortest rail double-track Tsipa Tunnel linking east and lumber, silk cocoons, and manganese, route between Europe and Central Asia west Georgia was completed in 1890. vividly showing the importance of the and a main part of the Eurasian Trade In 1883, the line was opened between GRW to the Georgian Treasury. In Corridor or so-called New Silk Route. Tbilisi and Baku (the capital of Azerbaijan) addition to trade and freight, a tourist line The idea of building a railway connecting to carry oil from the Caspian oilfields to was built in 1894 to the Borjomi Gorge, a the Black and Caspian seas was first the Georgian port of Batumi from where beauty spot famed for its forests, resorts Figure 1 Geography of Caucasus Region RUSSIA UKRAINE KAZAKHSTAN ROMANIA Odessa IlicheIlichevskvsk Constanta Varna BULGARIA Novorossiysk Burgas Black Sea Sochi GREECE Tashkent Istanbul Poti Aegean Sea GEORGIA UZBEKISTAN Batumi Tbilisi AZERBAIJAN Baku Kars Turkmenbashi ARMENIA TURKEY TURKMENISTAN Chardzhou Caspian Ashkhabad Sea IRAN AFGHANISTAN 42 Japan Railway & Transport Review 24 • July 2000 Copyright © 2000 EJRCF. All rights reserved. Figure 2 Georgian Railway Network Gagra RUSSIA Ochamchire Sokhumi GEORGIA Makhachkala Jvari Tkibuli CASPIAN SEA Chikha Tskhaltubo Kutaisi Senaki Tskhinvali Pioni Telavi Khashuri Gori Poti Samtredia Gurjaani Derbent BLACK SEA Zestaphoni Tbilisi Borjomi TsnorTsnorii Belakan Ozurgeti Bakuriani Kazreti Dedoplistskard Batumi Vale Akhalkalaki Agstafa Tovuz Khanlar SabSabunchiunchi Evlakh Guhri Kyurdamir BaladjarBaladjarii Baku TURKEY ARMENIA Ketabek Gazimagomed AZERBAIJAN Alyat AlibairAlibairamlyamly Shusha Yerevan Existing double track Existing single track Main stations NachiceNachicevanvan Mindzivan IRAN Astara (Georgian Railway) and mineral water. The narrow-gauge line requires about 5000 major engineering automatic blocks, centralized signalling, was extended in 1901 from Borjomi to structures such as breakwaters, flood and train radio came into use. Modern Bakuriani, a winter sports resort. Another banks, embankment protection, snow transport demands have seen the line was completed in 1915 through the fences, etc. upgrading of communications and famous Georgian wine-producing The first FERLI class steam locomotives signalling infrastructure to international heartland to Kakhety. were replaced by E and SU class steam standards. For example, copper cables locomotives in 1923. General Electric have already been replaced by fiber optics S-10 class electric locomotives entered on some lines in west Georgia and the Characteristics of GRW service on 16 August 1932 when some computer network is being expanded lines were electrified. All GRW lines, under the guidance of the Information- Generally, the topography of Georgia including the Borjomi–Bakuriani narrow- Computing Centre of the Georgian presents railway engineers with difficult gauge line, were finally electrified in Railway. This will greatly improve the challenges; the 1538 km of tracks run November 1967. quality of railway management. through 45 tunnels and across 1716 large Modern VL-10 and VL-11 class At present, GRW consists of three and small bridges with a total length of locomotives built by Tbilisi Electric management departments that handle all 40.3 km. Some lines are subject to very Locomotive Works began operations in business operations, 115 freight stations, severe climate conditions and the 1974. Negotiations are presently in eight locomotive depots, four wagon Marabda–Akhalkalaki section in south progress with ADtranz of Germany to repair depots, 11 track branch depots, Georgia crosses a pass at over 2200 m build modern high-speed locomotives for seven power substation depots, five above sea level. By contrast, Poti Station GRW. communications centres, locomotive and is the lowest place in the network at 6 m Introduction of modern communications carriage works, railway police offices, etc. above sea level. This complex topography and signalling started in 1946 when The rolling stock includes 250 electric Copyright © 2000 EJRCF. All rights reserved. Japan Railway & Transport Review 24 • July 2000 43 Developments at Georgian Railway Borjomi–Bakuriani narrow-gauge line (1902) (Georgian Railway) Tsipa Tunnel (4 km, 777 m above sea level) (Georgian Railway) locomotives, about 200 diesel contrast to the days of the former Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States locomotives, over 16,000 wagons (3478 Union when the GRW was described as (TACIS) programme, as well as agreements covered, 5207 open, 1433 tankers, 769 the ‘Deadlock Way’. between countries in central Asia and the refrigerated wagons, etc.). Trans-Caucasus region, have resulted in The existing GWR track and rolling stock revival of the Eurasian Transport Corridor capacities can handle 60 trains each day, New GRW Role (EATC). EATC is the shortest, safest and corresponding to 40 million tonnes of potentially cheapest route between freight each year. Notwithstanding the Lately, the political and economic maps Europe and Asia and is already seeing civil unrest since Georgia’s independence of Europe and Asia have seen huge good results with continuous growth in from the USSR in 1991 and despite changes and one important result is the freight traffic, especially container economic difficulties in the transition from European Union (EU) programme on the transport. For example, Mitsubishi a socialist planned economy to a market New Silk Route, or TRACECA (Transport Corporation is building a modern economy, GRW has still managed to Corridor Europe–Caucasus–Asia). container berth at Poti to handle up to provide Georgia with nationally important Support from the EU within the framework 300,000 containers each year. The freight transport services (Table 1) in stark of the Technical Assistance for the political stability of Georgia and the Table 1 Georgian Railway Statistics Year 1985 1990 1993 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Route-km 1,465 1,583 1,583 1,575 1,575 1,575 1,575 1,575 Electrified route-km 1,465 1,583 1,583 1,575 1,575 1,575 1,575 1,575 Freight tonnage (thousand tonne) 63,881 53,861 7,966 4,656 4,784 7,231 8,494 9,492 Passenger-km (million) 4,214 2,497 1,003 371 380 294 397 355 No. of electric locomotives 317 338 297 237 227 225 224 218 No. of diesel locomotives 209 233 219 202 185 182 182 175 Total No. of employees 34,753 32,919 25,077 18,420 18,407 17,773 16,495 15,814 Employees in railway operations 22,995 21,354 18,872 13,752 13,505 13,438 12,790 12,404 (Georgian Railway) 44 Japan Railway & Transport Review 24 • July 2000 Copyright © 2000 EJRCF. All rights reserved. Figure 3 Freight Cargo in 1999 Figure 4 Freight Cargo Trend Agricultural products 10 9.4 9 8.5 Building materials 9.89% 8 7.2 7.72% 7 Metal products 6 6.56% 5 4.7 4.8 1999 7.31% 4 Mixed freight 68.52% (Million tonnes) 3 2 Oil products 1 0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 (Georgian Railway) (Georgian Railway) assistance of various European example of this change. Another example Chardzhou–Ashkhabad–Turkmenbashi programmes have resulted in the EATC is the containerized Logistic Express, (Krasnovodsk)–Baku–Tbilisi–Poti route drawing traffic from other transport which started operations in 1996 between through Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, corridors. Georgia and Azerbaijan and fully meets Azerbaijan to Georgia. On 25 June 1997, The conversion of GRW in 1998 to a the needs of modern trans-shipment. the 3rd Pan-European Transport limited company handling through freight The most effective way of shipping freight Conference in Helsinki recognized the between Asia and Europe only became between Poti (in Georgia) and Tashkent corridor across Georgia as an official part possible after the breakup of the USSR, (in Uzbekistan) would be to run regular of the Pan-European Transport Corridors and the TRACECA project is a good container services on the Tashkent– and this recognition will help attract freight to TRACECA. It is also most important for the GRW network to have tight links with ferries across the Black Sea. A joint Georgian- Ukraine company called Eurasian Transport Co., Ltd.