Georgia Railways to receive major investment to strengthen Middle Corridor role
Georgia’s Railways faces a broad modernization drive, including rolling stock renewals, digitalization and infrastructure works aimed at boosting corridor performance.
A sweeping modernization push is set to reshape Georgia’s rail future, with officials saying investment will reinforce the country’s role on the Middle Corridor.
Economy and Sustainable Development deputy minister Tamar Ioseliani said the process, presented after Georgia Railways’ “historic renewal” briefing, is intended to comprehensively improve infrastructure as well as passenger and freight services.. The goal, she said, is to strengthen Georgia’s position in the Middle Corridor and provide reliable, fast transport links between Europe and Asia.
In her remarks, Ioseliani framed the plan as a government priority across three rail directions, with large-scale funding expected to support that broad approach. She also described the last year for Georgia Railways as a turning point, citing optimization measures aimed at improving efficiency.
The significance here is not only upgraded hardware, but the operational outcomes that modernization is meant to deliver, especially for a corridor where schedule reliability can define competitiveness.
According to Ioseliani, savings from optimization exceeded 230 million lari. She also pointed to what she called an unprecedented government decision on renewing the locomotive and wagon fleet, with investments planned for 2026 to 2028 to fully refresh the rolling stock.
A key element of that fleet renewal, she said, is the introduction of new systems and digitalization. Ioseliani said this would allow the country’s border-crossing time to be cut by half, increase efficiency, and raise overall throughput.
For passenger services, she noted that Georgia plans to acquire 10 new trains over two years. This year, five train upgrades are also planned, which she said could enable additional services on the Tbilisi–Kutaisi and Tbilisi–Akhaltsikhe routes while improving comfort for travelers.
Meanwhile, attention is also being directed to infrastructure projects. Ioseliani highlighted the restoration of the Borjomi–Bakuriani historic train, scheduled for the 2027 winter season, and referenced ongoing and completed efforts on the main rail line.
She also singled out the modernization project for the main rail corridor, which she said was completed in December last year and doubled Georgia Railways’ capacity. In her view, these improvements are part of a longer development direction supported by a 10-year plan.
Finally, Ioseliani said the rail strategy includes roughly 1.7 billion dollars in investment over the next decade, covering infrastructure as well as passenger and freight needs.. The aim is to build a stronger railway that can remain a dependable regional partner, and the emphasis on digitalization and capacity suggests leaders see speed and reliability as the core of that promise.