ArmInfo. Armenia has begun restoring the Gyumri-Akhurik and Yeraskh railway sections to ensure transport access to the borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan.
According to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Yerevan is ready to carry out this work independently, while maintaining consultations with the Russian side. This was stated in today's publication in Pravda.ru.
The publication notes that unblocking the lines is part of preparations for the possible opening of the border between Armenia and Turkey. The resumption of service will provide Turkey with additional access to the Caucasus, and Yerevan with access to Middle Eastern routes through Turkish territory.
At the same time, Turkey has announced a tender for the construction of the Akyaka-Gyumri highway. These infrastructure projects are seen as a sign of normalizing relations between Ankara and Yerevan.
Risk manager Ilya Gusev notes that dependence on a single transport corridor creates systemic vulnerability, so diversifying routes through the restoration of old lines reduces the region's logistical risks.
Increased activity is already visible on neighboring routes. Kadir Bozan, Chairman of the Kars Chamber of Commerce and Industry, reported a 400% increase in traffic volumes on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway in recent months. Nikol Pashinyan confirmed that this route has already been integrated into Armenia's export and import system.
The situation with the restoration of sections also affects the infrastructure management model. Since 2008, Armenia's railway network has been under concession to the South Caucasus Railway (a subsidiary of Russian Railways). However, the republic's authorities do not rule out revising this model in order to implement some of the projects themselves.
