Civilnet
By Elen Muradyan
Armenia has called on its Russian partners to urgently decide on restoring key sections of the country’s railway infrastructure, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday, linking the issue to fresh momentum around regional transport projects.
Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting, Pashinyan said Yerevan was awaiting a response from Moscow regarding rehabilitation works on rail segments operated under a Russian concession. “We are waiting for the reaction of our Russian partners,” he said, adding that processes were underway and that the government would provide further details soon.
Pashinyan said the issue had been discussed during his Dec. 22 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, where the two sides reviewed practical steps to rebuild infrastructure tied to the unblocking of regional transport routes.
Armenia expects the rapid restoration of several priority rail sections currently under Russian management. These include the stretch in the Akhurik area from the Armenia-Turkey border to the existing operational network, the line from the Armenia-Nakhichevan border to Yeraskh, and the Tavush section up to and including the Ijevan railway station.
Asked about timelines, Pashinyan said the appropriate moment for action was “now,” pointing to the Jan. 14 joint Armenia-U.S. statement that unveiled an implementation framework for the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP), a U.S.-backed initiative aimed at enhancing regional connectivity. “After yesterday’s developments, the proper timeframe is now,” he said. “Processes are taking place, and they imply that this must be done as quickly as possible.”
The prime minister’s remarks build on earlier warnings that Armenia could move to reclaim control over parts of its rail network if promised investments are not delivered. On Dec. 25, Pashinyan said the government was prepared to restore critical railway sections using state funds should the Russian side fail to act within a reasonable timeframe.
Under a 2008 agreement with Russia’s state-owned Russian Railways (RZD), Armenia handed its railway network to the company’s subsidiary for trust management for 30 years, with an option to extend the concession by another decade. The deal obliges the Russian operator to invest in infrastructure modernization, renew rolling stock and improve safety, while ownership of the assets remains with the Armenian state.
Armenia’s rail network has long been constrained by closed borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan, leaving Georgia as its only rail outlet to external markets. Yerevan has increasingly framed rail rehabilitation as central to its broader strategy to reopen regional links and position itself as a transit hub amid shifting geopolitical and economic alignments.
The government has not specified how long it will wait for a Russian decision, but Pashinyan’s latest comments suggest that patience is running thin as Armenia seeks to align its infrastructure with emerging international transport initiatives.
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