Throughout the state stretches the railway of Georgia. In its operation there are lines with a length of about 1323.9 km, as well as many bridges, tunnels, passenger stations and loading stations.
Railway tracks of Georgia
What is the Georgian railway? It is a strategic object of the country and a key link between Armenia, Azerbaijan and European countries.
Docking of the railways of Georgia and Armenia takes place at Sadakhlo station. The state border of Georgia with Azerbaijan converges with the border of their railway lines. Transit cargo of these countries goes through the territory of the state to Europe.
The electrification of the Georgian railway was almost complete. Only the Ninotsminda-Akhalkalaki branch remained. During the collapse of the USSR in 1991, electrification was stopped here, and it was not renewed anymore.
The section between the cities of Samtredia, Tbilisi and Gardabani (a city located on the border of Georgia and Azerbaijan) consists of two paths, and all other regions have one path.
Construction history
In 1856, engineer-captain Statkovsky made a report stating that the construction of a railway should begin on the territory of Georgia. The basis of his project was the connection of the cities of Baku and Tiflis. This would allow delivering Nizhny Novgorod goods along the Volga and the Caspian Sea. And in Baku and Poti, the goods would be delivered by rail.
In Georgia, the opening of the first branch occurred in 1872. She connected the city of Poti with Tiflis, now Tbilisi.
A significant date in the life of Georgia was the day of August 16, 1932. Then the country launched the first electric locomotive.
Electrification in Georgia was fully completed in 1967.
The Georgian railway until 1991 was an integral part of the Transcaucasian.
After the referendum of 1991, which resulted in the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Transcaucasian Railway was divided. And as a result of this, the formation of three branches took place: Abkhaz, Armenian and Georgian. The Samtred and Tbilisi branches carried out maintenance work on the site where the Georgian road was located.
Since the days of the Soviet Union, the railway has been used as a testing ground. Here rolling stock was tested , in particular electric locomotives, which were produced and operated both in the USSR and outside the country. The branch between Zestafoni and Khashuri, which runs along the Suram pass, was considered the main test site. In 1932, the railway branch of the Suramsky Pass was the first in the USSR to be electrified and used to transport goods by rail.
Development plans
The Georgian railway has plans to reconstruct the main highway of Tbilisi - Batumi to improve the possibility of high-speed traffic.
The construction of the second route of the Samtredia-Batumi branch is planned, due to a significant increase in cargo turnover in this direction.
Reconstruction of many Georgian railway stations is planned, the state of which is currently not the best.
It is planned to build the Northern Railway Bypass of Tbilisi in order to get dangerous freight transport out of the city center. The central railway station will also be transferred. It is planned to build two main stations. Trains will run westward from Didube Station, and from Samgori eastbound.
In order to completely modernize the main railway line of Georgia, the plans pay special attention to the strategic project “Fast Railroad”. To this end, they will build a new direct branch through the Rikot Pass.
The Tbilisi-Batumi expressway will be 450 km long. This will cause trains to be on the road less time. And you can get from Tbilisi to the Black Sea coast in 3 hours. The project plans to lay new rails here. Will make a complete electrification. The project includes the construction of new bridges, tunnels and other engineering structures.
LLC Georgian Railway
In 2011, the Georgian railway plans included raising external financing through the placement of shares in Georgian Railway. But later it was decided to abandon this. All its authorized capital is in state ownership.
Georgian Railway plans to introduce SAP technologies. She will be the first company among the CIS and Transcaucasia. This will allow to control the business processes of production at the present stage and will effectively simplify the process of making decisions regarding basic business issues.
After the introduction of cutting-edge SAP technologies, there will be an increase in operating income, a reduction in reserve inventory, financial and repair costs, and receivables.
Railway station of the capital
Tbilisi Railway Station is located on Station Square. It is located in the northwestern part of the city.
In 1872, when the construction of the branch between Zestafi and Tiflis was completed, it was opened in Tiflis (Tbilisi).
In the 50s of the XX century, the old station was demolished and the building of "Stalinist" architecture was built.
The modern train station in Tbilisi consists of two passenger terminals: Central and Borjomi. His building was redone. Now here is the shopping mall Tbilisi-Central. At the box office and in the waiting room, reconstruction was made.
From the station, trains leave for intercity and international directions. Also commuter trains depart from here. A train to Tbilisi arrives at the Central Station.
At the box office, tickets can only be purchased in cash, although credit card symbols are pasted on the windows.
From two in the morning until six in the morning, the station is closed, so you can’t spend the night here.
Cargo Stations of Georgia
The Tbilisi-Tovarnaya freight station operates in Tbilisi. It is open for freight during transportation and storage of goods.
Also, the cargo station operates in the city of Rustavi. It is built on the line between Tbilisi and Baku.
How to get from Tbilisi to Batumi?
You can get from the Georgian capital Tbilisi to Batumi by purchasing tickets for the Tbilisi-Batumi train. In this direction, the movement of high-speed comfortable trains has been established. They depart from the central station 3 times a day: in the morning, after 12:00 and at night. You can find out the exact time of departure by visiting the website of the Georgian Railway. Here you can buy train tickets. The fare ranges from 19 to 30 GEL and depends on the class of car.
The Tbilisi-Batumi train is approximately 5 hours on the road.
Modern Railway of Georgia
The modern Georgian railway is widely developing. Traction rolling stock is constantly being updated , where preference is given to electric locomotives produced at the electric locomotive factory in Tbilisi. The VMK electric trains are the latest in the motor-carriage maneuvering composition of the railway.