DUSHANBE , April 26, Asia-Plus - Compared to January-March 2005 a volume of cargo shipments by rail transportation in Tajikistan has reduced by 10.2 percent or 382,000 tons and amounted to 4.118 million tons over the first quarter of 2006, the Tajik Railways head Amonullo Hukumov told journalists on April 25.  

In January-March this year, Tajikistan ’s rail transportation has shipped 10,500 tons of nonferrous metals, 20,000 tons of alumina, 52,600 tons of wheat flour, 36,700 tons of oil, 3,021 tons of cotton, etc.   In January-March this year, the Tajik railways’ revenue from cargo shipments has amounted to 56.7 million Somonis (equivalent to US$17.7 million), which is 4 million Somonis more compared to the same period of 2005, according to Hukumov.  

Revenues from conveyance of passengers for the same three-month period have amounted to 11.6 million Somonis, which is 3.1 million Somonis more than in January-March 2005.  

            Tajik railways has sustained serious losses as foreign passports for citizens of Tajikistan traveling to the Eurasian Economic Community member nations [ Belarus , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Russia and Tajikistan ] has been introduced.  “The quantity of passenger transportation on the south-north transit routes within Tajikistan – Dushanbe-Konibodom  and Qurghon Teppa-Konibodom – alone has decreased by 47,000 people,” Hukumov said.  In this connection, Tajik Railways has purchased computers for interior’s visas and registration departments of Sughd and Khatlon for speeding up issuing of foreign passports, according to the Tajik Railways head.   

At present Tajik rolling-stock includes 1,764 goods tracks and 314 passenger carriages.  Of those 1,764 goods tracks, 600 have already outlived their service life.  “Since the beginning of the year, Tajik Railways has repaired 25 passenger carriages and 26 goods racks,” Hukumov said, noting that his enterprises has spent 750,000 Somonis over the same-three month for maintaining the country’s railways.   

The Tajik Railways head also noted that I near future they would negotiate with Chinese specialists purchase of new carriages for Tajikistan .  According to him, one carriage comes to some US$800,000.   

Tajik Railways pays a significant attention to training of personnel, according to Hukumov.  At present, 30 Tajiks are studying at higher educational institutions in Russia and Ukraine , Hukumov said.