South Caucasus Railways reports 11 percent rise in cargo transportation

YEREVAN, September 20. / ARKA /. The Russian-run South Caucasus Railways, operating Armenia’s railroads, said today it had transported 2.226 million tons of cargoes in the first eight months of 2012, an 11.3 percent year-on-year growth. 

The company said it had transported outside the country 305,200 metric tons of goods, an 11 percent year-on-year rise and brought to the country 884,700 tons of cargo, by 5.7 percent more from a year earlier. The volume of domestically transported cargo grew by 16.4 % to 1.076 million metric tons. The company said also that the average weight of a freight train increased by 5% reaching 1,437 tons against last year’s 1368 tons. 

In 2012 August alone the volume of freight traffic increased by 19 percent to 380,100 tons, including 169,000 tons of cargo brought into the country, 49,000 tons taken outside the country and 162,000 tons transported domestically.

"The South Caucasus Railways is gradually increasing its performance indicators, including the volume of freight. These results were due to introduction of a flexible tariff policy aimed at reducing transport costs," the press release says. 

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-