Abkhazian railway

Abkhazian railway
საქართველოს რკინიგზის აფხაზეთის მონაკვეთი
Абхазская железная дорога

300px Map of Abkhazia with railway lines.
300px Sukhumi Railway station — the biggest in Abkhazia.
Locale	Abkhazia (de-facto) Georgia (de-jure)
Dates of operation	1992–present
Predecessor	Georgian Railways (USSR)
Track gauge	1,520 mm (4 ft 11 27⁄32 in)
Headquarters	Sukhumi
Website	Press here

Abkhazian Railway
Legend
Legend ( To Adler ) Russia, Krasnodar Krai, SKZD Abkhazia/Georgia, Gagra, AbZD 1998 км Psou 2000 км Leselidze Lapstra River Mekhandiri River Hashpsy River 2005 км Gantiadi Holodnaya Rechka River 2010 км Bagrypsh Anahamsta River 2014 км Chigrypsh Chigiripsh River 250 m tunnel 900 m tunnel Zhaiuapsi River 2017 км Abaata 1250 m tunnel 2020 км Gagrypshi 2023 км Atshida 2025 км Gagra 2028 км Bagnasheni 2031 км Alakhadzi 2034 км Bzypta 2036 км Atchada Bzyp River 2040 км Kaldakhuara 2041 км Mysra 2045 км Blabyrkhua 2049 км Khudzyrta 2053 км Mchyshta Mchish River 2057 км Apshdvany Hypsy River 2060 км Ashytsra 2063 км Gudauta 2066 км Gudou 2071 км Aapsta Aapsta River 2075 км Tskuara 2077 км Lapsta 2081 км Psyrtskha 2083 км New Athos 2087 км Guandra 2089 км Shytskuara 2091 км Dzyata 2093 км Eshera Gumista River 2096 км Achadara 2099 км Sukhumi 2101 км Guma 1200 m tunnel 2106 км Kelasuri Kialasuri River Machara River 2114 км Gulripshi 2119 км Dranda 2123 км Kodori Kodori River 2128 км Adzubzha 2134 км Kindghi Toumysh River 2140 км Tamishi 2149 км Aradu Myku River 2153 км 0 км Ochamchire 7 км Baslakhu 14 км Akuaskia] 20 км Gup Aaldzga river 26 км Tkvarcheli Akarmara 2161 км Okhursa 2167 км Achguara 2169 км Shesheleta 2177 км Gali 2183 км Taglan Tagiloni x20px Abkhazia, Abkhazian Railway Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Georgian Railway ( Georgian Railway ) Adler—Georgia line Legend Legend Adler Adler – Sochi Airport section Kherota River Sochi Airport Mzymta River Sochi Olympic Village Sochi Olympic Park Vesyoloye Abkhazian/Georgian–Russian border Psou Gyachrypsh Lapsta River Mekhadiri River Khashupse River Tsandrypsh Tsivtskaro River Bagripshi Anakhomsta River Chigripshi Chigripshi River Zhoekvara River Abaata Gagripshi Gagripshi River Gagra Adygaa Street Gagra Bagnasheni Alachady Bzyb Atidzta Bzyb River Kaldakhvara Myussera River Myussera Blaburkhva Bаrmishi Chudsyrta Mchishta Mshishta River Apshdni Khipsta River Ashitsra Gudauta Adzlagara River Gudou River Gudou Aapsta Aapsta River Tskuara River Tskuara Lapsta Psirtskha River Psirtskha New Athos Shitskvara Shitskvara River Gvandra Dsiata Eshera Gumista River Achadara Sukhumi Guma Kelasuri Kelasuri River Machara River Gulripshi Dranda Kodori Kodori River Adzyubzha Kyndygi Toumyshi River Tamyshi Aradu Mokvi River Ochamchira Ochamchira – Akarmara section Baslakhu Akuasnia Gupi Ghalidzga River Tkvarcheli Ghalidzga River Akarmara Okhurei River Anaria Okumi River Achigvara Shesheleti Gali Ojoghore River Kojori River Khumushkuri River Salkhino Khviti River Sida River Chuborni River Khaia River Tagiloni Abkhazian–Georgian border Abkhazian railway is a rail operator in the partially recognised state of Abkhazia, controlled by Russian Railways. Main information Consists of a 101 km (63 mi) rail line along the Black Sea coast. Built to 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 27⁄32 in) Russian gauge, it connected Russia's North Caucasus Railway with Georgian railways prior to 1992. This connection was severed as a result of the War in Abkhazia. The railway is administered by the Abkhazskaya Zheleznaya Doroga (Russian: Абхазская Железная Дорога, Abkhaz: Аҧсны Аиҳаамҩа) company. As of 2015, there is a daily long distance line between Sukhumi and Moscow, and some elektrichkas between Adler and Sukhumi. History After the dissolution of the Soviet Union and damaging of the Transcaucasian Railway lines, the Samtredskoye part to the west of the Inguri River came under control of the Abkhazian railway. The bridge over the Inguri River was blown up on 14 August 1992, which was the day when Georgian forces entered Abkhazia and is the date considered as the start of the War in Abkhazia. The pretext for sending the Georgian National Guard to Abkhazia in 1992 was to protect the railroad. The bridge was subsequently restored but blown up again in 1993, after the end of the war. The track between Achigvara and the Inguri River was dismantled. The rest of the railway line also suffered greatly during the war. After the war ended, traffic was restored along the line. The railway system of Abkhazia was isolated in the 1990s, due to the blockade imposed by Russia. On 25 December 2002 the Sochi-Sukhumi elektrichka train made its first run since the war, which let to Georgian protests. As the number of Russian tourists greatly increased in the 2000s, the Psou-Sukhumi section was mainly repaired by Russia in 2004 and on 10 September 2004 the Moscow-Sukhumi train first arrived in the capital of Abkhazia. The Ochamchira-Sukhumi, Sochi-Sukhumi and Tkvarcheli-Sukhumi elektrichkas, that had operated at various times from 1993, no longer operated by 2007 due to various infrastructure problems. The last of the elektrichka, Gudauta-Sukhumi, was closed down on the end of 2007. The Adler-Gagra train service was resumed on 26 June 2010 by the Don-Prigorod company. There have been proposals to restore destroyed parts of the railway and re-establish rail traffic between Russia and the Trans-Caucasian countries of Armenia and Georgia. The alternative route through Azerbaijan is significantly longer and not available at all, in the case of Armenia, due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Georgia has long tied the restoration of rail traffic with the return of refugees to Abkhazia. On 15 May 2009 the President of Abkhazia, Sergey Bagapsh, announced that Abkhazia's railway and airport would be transferred to Russia with management rights for ten years, a decision which caused a negative outcry in Abkhazia. According to the Abkhaz tycoon and opposition party leader, Beslan Butba, this has led to growing anti-Russian sentiment in Abkhazia. In late 2012 and early 2013 the new Georgian government under Prime Minister Ivanishvili repeatedly proposed to revamp the Abkhazian Railway and getting it hooked on the Georgian railways, specifically to appease Armenia, and enabling a commercial link to Russia. This sparked domestic and international discussion in Armenia (the country with the most commercial interest in such a connection), in Azerbaijan (which has fears it enables Russia with a more efficient military transport to its base in Gyumri, Armenia) and in Russia (Russian Railways owning the Armenian-based South Caucasus Railways). The Abkhaz authorities first reacted dismissively to cooperate with such initiative, but later changed their tone. Azerbaijan shortly threatened with consequences for the Kars–Tbilisi–Baku railway connection, due completion at the end of 2013, and suggested rising the gas price charged to Georgia. In Georgia there is still sharp opposition to reopening this railway link. Currently there is only one train connection from the Russian Federation to Abkhazia. The train from Moscow to Sukhumi operates daily at the high touristic season in summer and twice a week at the low season. The additional trains from Belgorod and St. Petersburg operate during the touristic season in summer. Photos Passenger train in Psyrtskha, Abkhazia.JPG Passenger train in Psyrtskha. Vokzal-1.jpg Sukhumi railway station. Gagra train tunnel.jpg Rail tunnel in Gagra was part of the project, that enabled a rail link to be established between Georgia and Russia via Abkhaz ASSR in the 1940s. References External links Абхазская Железная Дорога (Abkhazian railway) (Russian) История абхазской железной дороги (History of the Abkhazian railway) (Russian)