Tbilisi-Airport: Either expensive or long

Georgian government constantly reports the successful implementation of various construction projects. Big money from the state budget is being invested in the development of infrastructure in the country. But not all ideas of President Saakashvili are successful. The railway from Tbilisi to the airport, the cost of which amounted to 14 million GEL, appeared unclaimed.

In 2007, under Saakashvili's order, construction of the railway station in the airport began. The project was prepared by the company "Deltaproekt-2000" and was carried out by the construction company "Transstroy". The President called this idea ​​a sensation, noting that the future railway will be better on the quality of a similar railroad from the airport in Geneva.

Now, "a sensational project" is properly functioning. The train leaves station square in Tbilisi early in the morning, at 07:50. But its wagons are almost empty. The train carries only a few people per day. These are mainly employees of the airport.

"We, who work in the morning shift, use this train. It isn't suitable for other shifts", airport worker, with whom I was talking in the train, said. "Passengers seldom use this train to get to the airport, be more precise - almost never", a second passenger added.

The train on the route "Tbilisi-airport" and vice versa, makes three trips a day. The last flight leaves at 7:00 pm. At night, the railroad does not work, although at this time the airport is full of passengers.

Together with the staff of the airport, we arrived at the final train stop to talk with passengers who have just arrived to the airport by aircraft and find out how were they going to get to the city. Seven people told us they were going to go home by taxi; other was going on his friend's car. The question arises: what for does this railroad operate? And why the creators of the project have not calculated how needed it would be?

"I prefer to go home by taxi, even having paid relatively more than to expect the train for hours, and then to take another transport. Indeed, I cannot wait so long, the more that I'm in a hurry", a passenger that has just landed told us.

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