Georgia's 2026–2028 rail plan: doubling capacity in three years
Georgia has unveiled a three-year railway overhaul — 50 locomotives, 1,500 wagons, new routes and faster journeys. Here is what the plan actually contains.
TrainsNews 
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced on 8 April 2026 a 2026–2028 railway development plan targeting a doubling of national network capacity and a near-tripling of annual passenger numbers.
Georgia sits at the heart of the Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route), the overland alternative linking China to Europe that bypasses Russia. Since 2022, transit freight has surged, now accounting for 59% of all tonnage carried by JSC Georgian Railway (GR). Scaling up the network turns a national infrastructure asset into a regional geopolitical lever — one that Europe, China and Central Asian states all have reason to watch closely.
The plan calls for the purchase of 50 new locomotives, 1,500 wagons and 10 passenger trainsets — a renewal made pressing by fleet ageing: 71 of GR's 91 locomotives are over 35 years old. Two major rehabilitation projects are due for completion in August 2026. The Tbilisi–Batumi corridor will see journey times cut from 5.5 hours to 4 hours. The Tbilisi–Akhaltsikhe line, mothballed since 2009, will reopen with a 3-hour journey time, down from 6 hours. A new direct service between Tbilisi and Kutaisi is also scheduled, while the historic narrow-gauge Borjomi–Bakuriani railway will undergo full refurbishment. The overarching target is to grow annual passenger numbers from 2.1 million to 5 million. The plan builds on GR's Rikoti Pass modernisation, completed in late 2025, which raised freight capacity from 27 to 48 million tonnes per year via a new 8.3 km tunnel — the longest in Georgia's history.
GR posted revenue of GEL 648.3 million in 2024, up 3.4% year-on-year, with an adjusted EBITDA of GEL 220.6 million. The company, 100% state-owned since 2022, holds a BB– credit rating with a stable outlook from both S&P and Fitch. The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have confirmed a combined GEL 325 million (approximately USD 120 million) financing package to support the modernisation programme.
Sources: Prime Minister of Georgia, official statement, 8 April 20
