Ambassador of Russia: The renewal of rolling stock reflects the  approach of South Caucasus Railways and Russian Railways to fulfill  their obligations under the concession agreement

ArmInfo.In general, this event is important in that it reflects the approach of South Caucasus Railways and the parent company represented by Russian Railways to  fulfill their obligations under the concession agreement. Russian  Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin stated this on June 8 at a  solemn event at the Yerevan railway station on the dispatch of new  passenger compartments purchased by the South Caucasian Railway  Company at the Tver Carriage Works for the first test run.

According to him, we are talking about a very important and  significant event, which gives a start to the renewal of the entire  passenger fleet of the South Caucasus Railway. The Ambassador stated  that the renewal of the campaign park will be carried out in a fairly  short period.

"So we went through this line-up, and I realized for myself that  without some instructions it will not be easy to ride on such a train  for the first time. There are a lot of new technologies, and you feel  like you are in a kind of sci-fi movie. This is wonderful, and we are  keeping pace with the times. It is also comfort, safety, and  therefore an additional incentive for passengers to travel. Thus, the  economy of the Republic of Armenia will receive a new impetus, and  citizens will live a more interesting life and travel, "Kopyrkin  said.  

The Ambassador also stated that the supply of these carriages  became possible as a result of the adjusted investment program for  2021. "It was adjusted at the request of the Armenian side. That is,  SCR and Russian Railways, despite the fact that it required serious  efforts to mobilize additional funds, went to the meeting, realizing  how important it is for the Republic of Armenia. In total, during  their work here as a concessionaire Armenian Railways, Russian  Railways have invested more than $ 300 million and as we can see,  this figure is by no means finite, "the Ambassador said, while  expressing the hope that the SCR will continue to work effectively  for the benefit of Armenia and the Armenian-Russian relations. In  conclusion, the diplomat expressed confidence that the constructive  attitude that has developed between the company, the relevant  ministries and the leadership of the Republic of Armenia will  continue and will bring important results.

To note, today, on June 8, new passenger carriages purchased by the  South Caucasian Railway Company at the Tver Carriage Works (part of  Transmashholding) departed from the Yerevan railway station for the  first test run. The company has purchased 27 passenger carriages, 20  of which have already been delivered to its disposal. Another 7  carriages will be delivered by the end of June. The new rolling stock  is the most modern serial production of the Tver Carriage Works,  which is part of Transmashholding. It became possible to place a  service area in the carriages with the installation of vending  machines and coffee machines. They are equipped with toilet complexes  with a shower cabin and purifiers for drinking water.  All seats in  passenger carriages are equipped with sockets or USB connectors.

TV sets will be installed in two-seater compartments of model 61-4517  carriages. In accordance with the wishes of the SCR, a special color  scheme is used in the upholstery of the sleeping places. The  carriages will be operated on the routes Yerevan - Tbilisi and  Yerevan - Batumi. A long-term investment loan to pay for the SCR  order was provided by the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB). The bank  provided funds in Russian rubles in the amount of up to 1.2 billion  for a period of eight years. The South Caucasus Railway has been the  concessionaire of the Armenian railway since 2008; over this period,  more than $ 300 million was invested in the country's infrastructure.   The South Caucasian Railway CJSC is a 100% subsidiary of the Russian  Railways OJSC and carries out concession management of the Armenian  railways. The railway infrastructure of Armenia was transferred to  the concession management of the SCR CJSC in accordance with the  Concession Agreement signed on February 13, 2008. The term of the  concession management is 30 years with the right to extend it for  another 10 years.