Children’s railways in yerevan to resume full operation august 5

YEREVAN, August 2. /ARKA/. The Children's Railway in Yerevan, renovated by the Russian-run South Caucasus Railways Co. (SCR) as part of an agreement on social and economic cooperation signed with the Yerevan municipality, will resume full operation on August 5, according to SCR CEO Victor Rebets, who spoke to journalists at a commissioning ceremony. 

He said the full resumption of the Children’s Railway will be timed with railroaders’ professional holiday, also marked on August 5.

"We did everything for the children to feel safe and comfortable,’ he told reporters.

He said the upgrading of the Children’s Railway is a two-phase project. At the first phase the SCR helped rehabilitee and modernize the cars and the track along with improving its safety. The second phase involves renovation of the station building. Mr. Rebets said the SCR is planning to open a permanent school of young railroader on the side, where children could spend some time after school lessons and receive the first information about the railroads and the people operating railway systems.

On his side, Vahe Davtyan, a spokesperson for the company, said the proposal will be submitted to Yerevan municipality in September. He said the company plans also to upgrade similar children’s railway in the second largest town of Gyumri, the administrative capital of northwestern province of Shirak by next year’s August 5.

The Children's Railway was opened in Yerevan on June 9, 1937. It has two stations and a platform and runs also through a 45 meter -long tunnel 

South Caucasus Railways, a 100-percent subsidiary of Russian Railways, runs Armenian Railway.  Armenian Railways was handed over to the South Caucasus Railways on February 13, 2008 for 30-year concession management with a right to prolong the management term for other 10 years.  -0-