Russian Railways Open to Dialogue

Russian Railways intends to firmly honor the terms of the concession agreement for Armenia’s railways. Oleg Belozerov, the company’s CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board, made the statement following a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

During a working visit to Yerevan on October 14, the head of Russian Railways discussed cooperation in rail transport with Nikol Pashinyan. Armenia’s state railways are operated under a concession by South Caucasus Railway CJSC (SCR), a subsidiary of Russian Railways. The concession agreement was signed in 2008 for a term of 30 years with an option to extend.

“Our job as railway workers is to provide our countries’ economies with transport links. The concession has made it possible to preserve and develop Armenia’s railway infrastructure without shifting the costs of its restoration and maintenance onto the republic’s budget,” Oleg Belozerov noted.

He emphasized that all profits earned have been reinvested in the development of SCR: total investment from Russian Railways’ funds and the railway’s own revenues over the concession period has amounted to 146 billion Armenian drams (about $400 million). SCR is systematically upgrading its infrastructure and passenger rolling stock. For instance, 27 new passenger cars were delivered to Armenia in 2021, and four new EP2D electric trains have been purchased over several years.

The head of Russian Railways pointed out that Armenia’s railways are an integral part of the 1,520 mm gauge rail network. The Russian side, in cooperation with its Armenian partners, is ready to handle freight and help grow passenger traffic. After Azerbaijan lifted its ban on transit toward Armenia in October 2025, Russian Railways launched regular freight services on this route.

Belozerov said: “We are open to dialogue with the Government of Armenia and to a joint assessment of the effectiveness of the concession agreement. For our part, we intend to firmly honor all the commitments we have undertaken.”

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stressed that the Armenian Government’s goal is to make Armenia’s railways competitive and integrated into the networks of neighboring countries and the international rail network.

Following the meeting on Wednesday, the parties agreed to set up a joint working group to assess the feasibility of organizing transit traffic via Armenia’s rail network.

Dmitry Koptev