ArmInfo. For the Government of Armenia, the main issues in the field of railway transport are the improvement of the quality of services, and not a change of manager. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said this on February 12 in the country's parliament, presenting the program of government activities for the next five years. Answering the question of the NA deputy from the Enlightened Armenia faction Gevorg Gorgisyan about the possibility of changing the concessionaire, the Prime Minister stressed that this issue is not raised or discussed.
"The main thing for us is to improve the quality of transportation and related services on the railway. Our negotiations with the leadership of SCR are aimed at achieving precisely this goal," said Nikol Pashinyan, refuting rumors circulating in the media about the possibility of changing the company's management railway.It should be noted that in 2018, within the framework of the investment program for rolling stock renewal approved by the SCR Board of Directors, 2 new electric trains and 40 new gondolas were purchased.
The latter are used to supply copper concentrate in the export message.Only in 2018, according to the company, about $ 5.6 million was sent to maintain and develop infrastructure, and $ 6.6 million to rolling stock. Over the 10 years of SCR activity, investments in rolling stock development exceeded $ 60 million. In 2018, growth the number of passengers of SCR amounted to 5% (when the decline in passenger traffic by road), 385 thousand people were transported, of which 64 thousand- in international communication. In 2018, the number of passengers, a record number in 10 years, was used by the traffic services in the direction of Batumi.The largest number of passengers during the SCR activity period - 203 thousand people - was transported along the route Yerevan-Gyumri-Yerevan. Due to the increase in speed of movement (travel time is 2 hours and 10 minutes) and affordability (2500 drams), the Yerevan-Gyumri-Yerevan express train launched in March 2018 enjoys great popularity among citizens. In 2018, its services were used by 14 thousand people.
CJSC "South Caucasian Railway" is a 100% subsidiary of OJSC "Russian Railways" and carries out the concession management of Armenian railways and. The railway infrastructure of Armenia was handed over to the concession administration of SCR CJSC according to the concession agreement signed on February 13, 2008. The term of concession management is 30 years with the right of prolongation for another 10 years.