Construction of Railway to Kutaisi International Airport to Launch

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili attended the launch ceremony for construction for a 3 kilometer long railway to the Kutaisi International Airport yesterday.  

The project is a key component of the spatial development direction for the government’s four point reform plan.

With the new railway road, passenger trains will arrive at the Kutaisi International Airport Terminal, and as the Prime Minister of Georgia noted, with the new railway and the Kutaisi Airport Georgia will become a country with a modern European planning system.

“Kutaisi airport, using this train station, will be the center, from where our citizens can comfortably travel visa-free to Europe at an affordable price.” Kvirikashvili said in his speech at the opening ceremony. “Any passenger arriving to Kutaisi will have the opportunity to travel to any part of Georgia within several hours, be it Georgian resorts, or Ambrolauri, Mestia, and Telavi airports” Kvirikashvili pointed out. He also mentioned the Rikoti auto route project, with which it will be possible to arrive from Kutaisi to Tbilisi in just two hours in his speech.      
As the Prime Minister of Georgia said, the railway to Kutaisi Airport and the airport itself will help the city to become an important touristic, logistical and transport center. In his speech Kvirikashvili underlined the significance of the Kutaisi University City project, which has already started.

“Along with Tbilisi’s technology center, this will be a united complex and Kutaisi will become an international university city, bringing a new pulse to it. Kutaisi was and still is Georgia’s cultural center, and it will now become a business center as well as a center for transports and logistics and tourism” the Prime Minister said, going on to mention one of the most important projects in the country,  Anaklia Deep Sea Port.

“This is railway is a part of the bigger spatial development project within the government’s four point reform plan, bringing infrastructure and major services to all parts of Georgia. Kutaisi will be a very important center of spatial development. Georgia has a justified ambition to become a regional center” Giorgi Kvirikashvili said.    

Prior to the railway construction launch ceremony, the Prime Minister visited the sewing factory, Imeri, that received 315,000 EUR financing through Produce in Georgia program.  Kvirikashvili also attended the opening of the first branded hotel in the Imereti region, Best Western Kutaisi, a three star hotel situated in the historic center of the city.

Best Western Kutaisi has 40 standard and five luxe type rooms and is adapted to the needs of people with disabilities. The project budget was 3million USD, with 1.4 million USD allocated by the partnership fund.

By Nino Gugunishvili