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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Khashuri /Georgia/, December 25 /Xinhua/ — A ceremony to officially commission a railway modernized by a Chinese company took place on Wednesday evening in Georgia's Khashuri municipality.
The event was attended by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Mariam Kvrivishvili, Director General of Georgian Railway Lasha Abashidze and about 150 other Georgian officials and representatives of the Chinese company China Railway 23rd Bureau Group.
"The large-scale modernization project of the Georgian railway has been completed. This is not just an infrastructure upgrade; it is a clear political and strategic choice made by Georgia to build its own future, economic strength, and a worthy place in global affairs," I. Kobakhidze said at the ceremony.
Noting that the project is one of the largest investments in the country's transport sector, he emphasized that with the completion of the project, capacity will significantly increase, operating costs will be reduced, and passenger safety and comfort will be improved.
According to I. Kobakhidze, his government's goal is to make Georgia a key, reliable, and irreplaceable link in the Middle Corridor, ensuring fast, safe, and uninterrupted movement of goods.
"Railway modernization is an integral part of this vision. It strengthens our competitiveness, increases transit potential, and creates a solid foundation for accommodating growing trade flows between Europe and Asia in the coming years," the prime minister added.
Guo Hai, deputy general manager of the Georgian branch of China Railway 23rd Bureau Group, told Xinhua that the project is an upgrade of the country's main east-west railway line.
He particularly highlighted Tunnel No. 9, which is 8.3 kilometers long, as the most challenging section of the project. Constructing the tunnel in mountainous terrain required such precision that Guo Hai compared the process to "embroidering in the earth's interior." The Chinese company representative added that the modernized line will optimize the transportation of transit cargo from Central Asia and Eastern Europe, becoming an important link in the Middle Corridor.
The CHF 260 million modernization project officially launched in September 2011. The railway is approximately 41 kilometers long, with a design speed of 120 km/h for passenger trains and 80 km/h for freight trains. According to Georgian Railways, after its official commissioning, the line's annual throughput capacity will increase from 27 million to 48 million tons of freight.
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