TBILISI, December 18 – Georgia’s government is negotiating with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) over new financing for the country’s logistics and railway sector.
On December 17, Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili and Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili met in Tbilisi with World Bank South Caucasus Regional Director Rolande Pryce and Anders Pettersson, deputy head of ADB’s Georgia office.
According to the Economy Ministry, talks focused on funding the purchase of new locomotives and rail wagons for Georgian Railways, as well as support for building an access road to the planned Anaklia deep-sea port.
The government expects to receive a total of 325 million lari (121 million USD) in credit financing in 2026 under its railway reform program, split evenly between the two lenders. The funding is already reflected in next year’s draft budget, with half of that amount expected from each institution, BMG reports.
ADB’s press office told BMG that negotiations are ongoing and that details about the project’s scope will be made public only after formal approval. Government statements suggest the financing would mainly target the renewal of rolling stock.
Separate talks on fleet modernization are also underway with France’s Alstom. On December 15, Economy Ministry Deputy Tamar Ioseliani and Georgian Railways CEO Lasha Abashidze met Alstom’s regional director to discuss replacing aging locomotives and wagons. Alstom’s nearest production facility is located in Kazakhstan.
According to Georgian Railways’ latest report, most of the company’s locomotives are outdated. Of its 91 locomotives, 78 percent were built more than 35 years ago, and none are newer than 20 years. More than half of the passenger train sets are also over 35 years old.
