Georgian Railway
Encyclopedia
Georgian Railway LLC is the national rail company of the country of Georgia
.
A vital artery linking the Black Sea
and the Caspian Sea
, it sits on the shortest route between Europe
and Central Asia
. Built to standard Russian gauge
, at present the fully electrified mainline of the Georgian Railway is 1323.9 km in length, consisting of 1422 bridges, 32 tunnels, 22 passenger and 114 freight stations.
and Kvirila (present day Zestaponi
). The first passenger train ran on October 10, 1872, from Poti to Tbilisi central station
.
From this central spine, the railway network expanded with links to: Rioni
to Kutaisi
(1877), Rioni-Tkibuli
(1887), Zestafoni to Chiatura
(1895). The Tbilisi to Baku
line became operational in 1883, allowing transportation of Azerbaijan oil through the port of Batumi
. In 1899 the railway connection between Georgia and Armenia
was established. The Khashuri
to Borjomi
link was built in 1894, with the Borjomi to Bakuriani
narrow-gauge line (912 millimetre) operational from 1902, to serve the higher level skiing
community. The Kakheti
railway branch line was completed in 1915.
The second major development of Georgian railways was due to rapid industrialisation and need for better distribution of agricultural products, including tea
, citrus
and wine
produce. This resulted in the construction of the branch lines to: Natanebi-Ozurgeti
(1924); Brotseula-Tskaltubo (1934), Senaki
-Ingiri-Gali
(1930), Gali-Ochamchire
-Sokhumi (1938), Gori
-Tskhinvali
(1940). The construction of the Sokhumi-Adler
allowing direct connection to the Russian railway network started during the World War II
, and was in full operation by 1949.
The new Marabda
to Akhalkalaki
line opened on 31 December 1986. Presently, plans are under way to rehabilitate this line and extend to across the Turkish border to Kars
, thus re-creating a direct Kars–Tbilisi–Baku route. (Between 1899 and 1993, rail travel between Kars and Tbilisi was possible via Gyumri (Alexandropol, Leninakan), but that route was broken in 1993 with the closing of the Turkish-Armenian border.)
On August 16, 1932 for the first time in the USSR, the first electric traction train ran in the Surami
pass. The General Electric Company produced the initial eight electric locomotives of Class S for the service, followed by an additional 21 Class Ss built by the Kolomna and Dinamo works between 1932 and 1934. By November 1967 all Georgian railway was electrified, including the Borjomi-Bakuriani narrow-gauge line. (Some lines are no longer electrically operated due to political and economic instability and war, particularly in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.)
Post World War II
, from 1946 the USSR army engineers with the prospect of connection to their system introduced modern communications, automatisation and Automatic Block Signal
ling systems. This was followed by the introduction of on train and guard radio communication systems, a process which was completed by 1949.
, Russian army forces entered parts of Georgia and damaged key Georgian assets. This included a railway bridge near the western Georgian town of Kaspi
, and application of mines
to the mainline west of Gori resulted in the complete derailment and resultant fire of an oil train.
The lines located in Abkhazia
and South Ossetia
are not under control of Georgian Railways. Lines from Nikozi
to Tskhinvali
(5 km) and from Ochamchira to Inguri River are not in use; much of the track and overhead on these two lines has been looted
, and stations such as Gali
have been destroyed or heavily damaged. Lines from Psou River
to Ochamchira and from Ochamchira to Tkvarcheli
are operated by Abkhazian Railways.
- yes - - via the breakaway
Republic of Abkhazia - closed since the War in Abkhazia (1992–1993)
Azerbaijan - yes - (Tbilisi-Baku
line); a through (Standard Gauge
) connection proposed Armenia - yes - (Tbilisi–Gyumri–Yerevan line) Turkey
- under construction - Standard Gauge
line (Akhalkalaki–Kars) under construction; this standard gauge line will connect
with Georgia's railway at Akhalkalaki
.
. On the one hand, modernization and maintenance of the railway was neglected; for example, out of 11,000 rail cars
, only 7,000 were in operation. On the other hand the football stadium of Lokomotiv Tbilisi, the team of Georgian Railways, had one of the most modern sports sites in the country. General manager Akaki Tschchaidse was arrested in 2004 and spent several months in custody, before he redeemed himself for 3 million US dollars.
The railway company was restructured in the same year, and the general manager became subordinate to a supervisory board. From June 2004 until October 2005 David Onoprishvili, a former finance minister and a professor at Vanderbilt University
in Nashville, Tennessee
, was general manager. He reformed management and assigned the American
consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton
to conduct an organizational appraisal.
As part of a modernization program, 2,445 employees were laid off
, while wages for remaining employees were increased by about 17 percent. Tariffs for goods (freight) transport were lowered, while modernized, air-conditioned
rail cars and express services were launched for passengers. A program of new and renovated station buildings commenced in 2006. The station building of the Tbilisi central station, excluding the rail infrastructure, was reconstructed and officially inaugurated in May 2010. The stations Makhinjauri
(a suburb of Batumi
) and Kobuleti
also received new station buildings.
The direct railway line through the center of Tbilisi will be replaced by a bypass north of Tbilisi in the coming years. The central station will be closed to passengers, and the existing infrastructure will be dismantled. Instead of a central station, two Tbilisi stations, the Didube station in the northwest part of the city, and the Navtlugi (Samgori) station in the east, will become stub-end stations served only by passenger trains. Because of this, through passenger service and direct passenger transfers will not be possible in the future.
However, instead of the expected reduction of environmental and traffic problems, the reductions are expected to cause more traffic problems, due to the fact that the surface (bus and trolleybus) and underground (Metro
) public transport system of Tbilisi is oriented toward the central station. As a result, Western European transportation specialists and railway companies strongly disagree with the solutions recommended by Booz Allen.
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
.
A vital artery linking the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
and the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
, it sits on the shortest route between Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
. Built to standard Russian gauge
Russian gauge
In railway terminology, Russian gauge refers to railway track with a gauge between 1,520 mm and . In a narrow sense as defined by Russian Railways it refers to gauge....
, at present the fully electrified mainline of the Georgian Railway is 1323.9 km in length, consisting of 1422 bridges, 32 tunnels, 22 passenger and 114 freight stations.
History
Founded in 1865, operations started in 1871 between PotiPoti
Poti is a port city in Georgia, located on the eastern Black Sea coast in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti in the west of the country. Built near the site of the ancient Greek colony of Phasis, the city has become a major port city and industrial center since the early 20th century. It is also...
and Kvirila (present day Zestaponi
Zestaponi
Zestafoni or Zestaponi is the capital of Zestaponi District in Western Georgia, which is part of Imereti province.It is an important industrial center, with a large ferro-alloy plant processing manganese ore from nearby Chiatura....
). The first passenger train ran on October 10, 1872, from Poti to Tbilisi central station
Tbilisi central station
- Past and Present :The Tbilisi central station is the central railway station of Tbilisi with an adjacent shopping mall. The first central station in Tbilisi was built in 1872, with trains to the black sea port of Poti. In the 1940 the building was demolished and replaced with a building in the...
.
From this central spine, the railway network expanded with links to: Rioni
Rioni River
The Rioni or Rion River is the main river of western Georgia. It originates in the Caucasus Mountains, in the region of Racha and flows west to the Black Sea, entering it north of the city of Poti...
to Kutaisi
Kutaisi
Kutaisi is Georgia's second largest city and the capital of the western region of Imereti. It is 221 km to the west of Tbilisi.-Geography:...
(1877), Rioni-Tkibuli
Tkibuli
Tkibuli or Tqibuli is a town in west-central Georgia, Imereti Region. It is located at around . It is situated at the northern edge of Imereti region, close to the region of Rach'a, at the foot of Nakerala mountain. The town is a coal mining centre. Tkibuli is located between two man-made...
(1887), Zestafoni to Chiatura
Chiatura
Chiatura is a city in the Imereti region of Western Georgia. In 1989, it had a population of about 30,000. It is inland, in a mountain valley on the banks of the Kvirila River, and since 1879 has been a major centre of manganese production in the Caucasus. There is a rail link to transport...
(1895). The Tbilisi to Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
line became operational in 1883, allowing transportation of Azerbaijan oil through the port of Batumi
Batumi
Batumi is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and capital of Adjara, an autonomous republic in southwest Georgia. Sometimes considered Georgia's second capital, with a population of 121,806 , Batumi serves as an important port and a commercial center. It is situated in a subtropical zone, rich in...
. In 1899 the railway connection between Georgia and Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
was established. The Khashuri
Khashuri
Khashuri is a town in central Georgia. It is located on the Mtkvari River.Khashuri is first mentioned in the 1693 document. Modern Khashuri was founded in 1872 as a modest railway halt called "Mikhaylovo" after Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia, Viceroy of the Caucasus. In 1917, it was...
to Borjomi
Borjomi
Borjomi is a resort town in south-central Georgia with a population estimated at 14,445. It is one of the districts of the Samtskhe-Javakheti region and is situated in the northwestern part of the region in the picturesque Borjomi Gorge on the eastern edge of the Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park...
link was built in 1894, with the Borjomi to Bakuriani
Bakuriani
Bakuriani is a skiing resort in the Borjomi district of Georgia. It is located on the northern slope of the Trialeti Range, at an elevation of 1,700 meters above sea level....
narrow-gauge line (912 millimetre) operational from 1902, to serve the higher level skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
community. The Kakheti
Kakheti
Kakheti is a historical province in Eastern Georgia inhabited by Kakhetians who speak a local dialect of Georgian. It is bordered by the small mountainous province of Tusheti and the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north, Russian Federation to the Northeast, Azerbaijan to the Southeast, and...
railway branch line was completed in 1915.
The second major development of Georgian railways was due to rapid industrialisation and need for better distribution of agricultural products, including tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
, citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
and wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
produce. This resulted in the construction of the branch lines to: Natanebi-Ozurgeti
Ozurgeti
Ozurgeti is a town and the regional administrative centre of Western Georgian province of Guria, former Macharadze or Makharadze . Population of Ozurgeti: 21,009...
(1924); Brotseula-Tskaltubo (1934), Senaki
Senaki
Senaki is a town in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region, western Georgia. It is located at around .From 1935 to 1976 it was called Tskhakaya in honor of the Georgian Bolshevik revolutionary leader Mikhail Tskhakaya....
-Ingiri-Gali
Gali
Gali may refer to:* Gali , a town in Abkhazia, Georgia* Gali District, Abkhazia* Gali Municipality, Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia* Gali District, Georgia* Toa Gali, a hero in Lego's Bionicle storyline...
(1930), Gali-Ochamchire
Ochamchire
Ochamchira is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast of Abkhazia, Georgia, and a centre of the eponymous district.According to the 1978 population census, Ochamchira had 18,700 residents. After the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict of 1992-93, Ochamchira experienced a significant population decline due to...
-Sokhumi (1938), Gori
Gori, Georgia
Gori is a city in eastern Georgia, which serves as the regional capital of Shida Kartli and the centre of the homonymous administrative district. The name is from Georgian gora , that is, "heap", or "hill"...
-Tskhinvali
Tskhinvali
Tskhinvali , is the capital of South Ossetia, a disputed region which has been recognised as an independent Republic by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Nauru, and is regarded by Georgia and the rest of the world as part of the Shida Kartli region within Georgian sovereign territory.It is located...
(1940). The construction of the Sokhumi-Adler
Adler
The term Adler, the German word for the bird of prey "eagle", is both the last name of many people and an emblematic bird featured on many blazons since the feudal age, including the present German Bundeswappen and at times on the flags of Austria and Germany...
allowing direct connection to the Russian railway network started during the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and was in full operation by 1949.
The new Marabda
Marabda
Marabda is a town in Georgia, located some 23 km south of the capital Tbilisi, and a few kilometers north of Marneuli.- Transport :Marabda is served by a Georgian Railway station on the Tbilisi–Gyumri line, 23 km south of Tbilisi Junction...
to Akhalkalaki
Akhalkalaki
Akhalkalaki is a small city in Georgia's southern region of Samtskhe-Javakheti with a population of 60,975. Akhalkalaki lies on the edge of the Javakheti Volcanic Plateau. The city is located about 30 km from the border with Turkey. 90 percent of the city's population are ethnic Armenians...
line opened on 31 December 1986. Presently, plans are under way to rehabilitate this line and extend to across the Turkish border to Kars
Kars
Kars is a city in northeast Turkey and the capital of Kars Province. The population of the city is 73,826 as of 2010.-Etymology:As Chorzene, the town appears in Roman historiography as part of ancient Armenia...
, thus re-creating a direct Kars–Tbilisi–Baku route. (Between 1899 and 1993, rail travel between Kars and Tbilisi was possible via Gyumri (Alexandropol, Leninakan), but that route was broken in 1993 with the closing of the Turkish-Armenian border.)
Infrastructure
Due to the challenging mountainous geography of Georgia, railway engineers have often been faced with some difficult challenges. In 1890 the dual tracking of the Tsipa tunnel was completed, allowing faster passage of East-West traffic.On August 16, 1932 for the first time in the USSR, the first electric traction train ran in the Surami
Surami
Surami is a townlet in Georgia’s Shida Kartli region with the population of 9,800 . It is a popular mountain climatic resort and a home to a medieval fortress.- Location :...
pass. The General Electric Company produced the initial eight electric locomotives of Class S for the service, followed by an additional 21 Class Ss built by the Kolomna and Dinamo works between 1932 and 1934. By November 1967 all Georgian railway was electrified, including the Borjomi-Bakuriani narrow-gauge line. (Some lines are no longer electrically operated due to political and economic instability and war, particularly in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.)
Post World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, from 1946 the USSR army engineers with the prospect of connection to their system introduced modern communications, automatisation and Automatic Block Signal
Automatic Block Signal
Automatic Block Signaling, or ABS, is a block system that consists of a series of signals that divide a railway line into a series of blocks and then functions to control the movement of trains between them through automatic signals...
ling systems. This was followed by the introduction of on train and guard radio communication systems, a process which was completed by 1949.
Present day
Following the dissolution of the USSR, the Georgian Government took control of many of the key assets of the new country, and undertook an aggressive privatisation campaign. The railway assets of Georgia were formed into the new 100% government owned company The Georgian Railway LLC, which operates under the public law of the Enterprise Management Agency, part of the Ministry of Economic Development. It is charged with both management and maintenance of the rail infrastructure, as well as all operations of passenger and freight services. The team which forms the management body consist of: The Assembly of Partners, Supervisory Board and the Board of Directors.Incidents
Following the 2008 South Ossetia war2008 South Ossetia war
The 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other....
, Russian army forces entered parts of Georgia and damaged key Georgian assets. This included a railway bridge near the western Georgian town of Kaspi
Kaspi
Kaspi is a town in central Georgia on the Mtkvari River. It is a center of Kaspi district, one of the four districts in Shida Kartli region. Founded in the early Middle Ages, the town turned into possession of the Amilakhvari noble family in the 15th century...
, and application of mines
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
to the mainline west of Gori resulted in the complete derailment and resultant fire of an oil train.
The lines located in Abkhazia
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
and South Ossetia
South Ossetia
South Ossetia or Tskhinvali Region is a disputed region and partly recognized state in the South Caucasus, located in the territory of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic....
are not under control of Georgian Railways. Lines from Nikozi
Nikozi
Nikozi is a village in central Georgia near the Russian peacemakers' and south Ossetian military forces' check-point. It is the birthplace of Patriarch Kyrion II of Georgia....
to Tskhinvali
Tskhinvali
Tskhinvali , is the capital of South Ossetia, a disputed region which has been recognised as an independent Republic by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Nauru, and is regarded by Georgia and the rest of the world as part of the Shida Kartli region within Georgian sovereign territory.It is located...
(5 km) and from Ochamchira to Inguri River are not in use; much of the track and overhead on these two lines has been looted
Metal theft
Metal theft is the theft of metal items on a very large scale. These thefts usually increase when worldwide prices for scrap metal rise. In recent years, prices for metals have risen dramatically due to rapid industrialization in India and China...
, and stations such as Gali
Gali (town)
Gali is a town in Georgia, 77 km southeast to Sukhumi in region Abkhazia. It is the centre of Gali District and was previously in the UN security zone prior to the Russian veto of the UMOMIG Mission in 2009.- References :...
have been destroyed or heavily damaged. Lines from Psou River
Psou River
Psou River is a river in the West Caucasus. It flows along the Southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range and forms a part of the border between Georgia and Russia. The river flows into the Black Sea. The length of the Psou is 57 km and the drainage basin is approximately...
to Ochamchira and from Ochamchira to Tkvarcheli
Tkvarcheli
Tkvarcheli is a town in Abkhazia. It is situated on the river Ghalidzga and the railroad connects it with Ochamchira.-History:...
are operated by Abkhazian Railways.
Railway links with adjacent countries
RussiaRail transport in Russia
The Russian railways are one of the economic wonders of the 19th, 20th, and 21st century world. In length of track they are second globally to the railways of the United States. In volume of freight hauled, they are third behind the United States and China, using the standard measure of...
- yes - - via the breakaway
Republic of Abkhazia - closed since the War in Abkhazia (1992–1993)War in Abkhazia (1992–1993)
The War in Abkhazia from 1992 to 1993 was waged chiefly between Georgian government forces on one side and Abkhaz separatist forces supporting independence of Abkhazia from Georgia on the other side. Ethnic Georgians, who lived in Abkhazia fought largely on the side of Georgian government forces...
Azerbaijan - yes - (Tbilisi-Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
line); a through (Standard Gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
) connection proposed Armenia - yes - (Tbilisi–Gyumri–Yerevan line) Turkey
Rail transport in Turkey
Turkey has a well-developed, state-owned railway system built to standard gauge which falls under the remit of the Ministry of Transport and Communication. The primary rail carrier is the Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları which is responsible for all long-distance and cross-border freight...
- under construction - Standard Gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
line (Akhalkalaki–Kars) under construction; this standard gauge line will connect
Break-of-gauge
With railways, a break-of-gauge occurs where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, and freight and passengers must otherwise be transloaded...
with Georgia's railway at Akhalkalaki
Akhalkalaki
Akhalkalaki is a small city in Georgia's southern region of Samtskhe-Javakheti with a population of 60,975. Akhalkalaki lies on the edge of the Javakheti Volcanic Plateau. The city is located about 30 km from the border with Turkey. 90 percent of the city's population are ethnic Armenians...
.
Modernization
Until 2004 Georgian Railways had been significantly affected by corruptionCorruption
Corruption usually refers to spiritual or moral impurity.Corruption may also refer to:* Corruption , an American crime film* Corruption , a British horror film...
. On the one hand, modernization and maintenance of the railway was neglected; for example, out of 11,000 rail cars
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
, only 7,000 were in operation. On the other hand the football stadium of Lokomotiv Tbilisi, the team of Georgian Railways, had one of the most modern sports sites in the country. General manager Akaki Tschchaidse was arrested in 2004 and spent several months in custody, before he redeemed himself for 3 million US dollars.
The railway company was restructured in the same year, and the general manager became subordinate to a supervisory board. From June 2004 until October 2005 David Onoprishvili, a former finance minister and a professor at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, was general manager. He reformed management and assigned the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton
Booz Allen Hamilton
Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. , or more commonly Booz Allen, is an American public consulting firm headquartered in McLean, Fairfax County, Virginia, with 80 other offices throughout the United States. Ralph Shrader is its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. The firm was founded by Edwin Booz in...
to conduct an organizational appraisal.
As part of a modernization program, 2,445 employees were laid off
Layoff
Layoff , also called redundancy in the UK, is the temporary suspension or permanent termination of employment of an employee or a group of employees for business reasons, such as when certain positions are no longer necessary or when a business slow-down occurs...
, while wages for remaining employees were increased by about 17 percent. Tariffs for goods (freight) transport were lowered, while modernized, air-conditioned
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
rail cars and express services were launched for passengers. A program of new and renovated station buildings commenced in 2006. The station building of the Tbilisi central station, excluding the rail infrastructure, was reconstructed and officially inaugurated in May 2010. The stations Makhinjauri
Makhinjauri
Makhinjauri is an urban-type settlement in Adjara, Georgia, with the population of 3,400 as of 2002. It is located on the Black Sea coast in the Khelvachauri district, 5 km north of Batumi, the capital of Adjara, and functions as a seaside resort...
(a suburb of Batumi
Batumi
Batumi is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and capital of Adjara, an autonomous republic in southwest Georgia. Sometimes considered Georgia's second capital, with a population of 121,806 , Batumi serves as an important port and a commercial center. It is situated in a subtropical zone, rich in...
) and Kobuleti
Kobuleti
Kobuleti is a town in Georgia's southwestern region of Ajaria. It is situated on the eastern coast of the Black Sea. Kobuleti is a sea resort, visited annually by Georgians and many former Soviet Union residents. From the 17th century into the 19th, Kobuleti was a fiefdom of the Tavdgiridze...
also received new station buildings.
The direct railway line through the center of Tbilisi will be replaced by a bypass north of Tbilisi in the coming years. The central station will be closed to passengers, and the existing infrastructure will be dismantled. Instead of a central station, two Tbilisi stations, the Didube station in the northwest part of the city, and the Navtlugi (Samgori) station in the east, will become stub-end stations served only by passenger trains. Because of this, through passenger service and direct passenger transfers will not be possible in the future.
However, instead of the expected reduction of environmental and traffic problems, the reductions are expected to cause more traffic problems, due to the fact that the surface (bus and trolleybus) and underground (Metro
Tbilisi Metro
The Tbilisi Metro is a rapid transit Metro system in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Opened in 1966 it became the fourth Metro system in the former Soviet Union. Like most ex-Soviet Metros, most of the stations are very deep and vividly decorated....
) public transport system of Tbilisi is oriented toward the central station. As a result, Western European transportation specialists and railway companies strongly disagree with the solutions recommended by Booz Allen.