South Brooklyn Railway Puns

The 38th Street Yard is a tiny little 3 track yard where they normally unload the locomotives and subway cars off of the freight flatcars that float across the Harbor from NJ. It only has one ramp to load/unload subway cars but is necessary because no subway rolling stock can legally operate on the national rail system. Its also where the subway system connects to the street running portion of the railroad.

You can see the entrance to the subway system in the background, the thing that looks like a pile of waste wood is actually the ramp they use to load/unload subway cars and locomotives onto and off of railroad flatcars http://members.trainweb.com/bedt/indloco/sbk3rdaveunloadingramp.jpg (PF STRUBEK Photo). Here is a photo from the opposite direction, the track on the right is for access to the street portion once the gate is opened: http://members.trainweb.com/bedt/indloco/sbk38thstyard.jpg (PM GOLDSTIEN Photo)

In exchange for waiving the $1 rent NYCTA will upgrade and update SBK's rails and facilities on the streets of Brooklyn. Whats interesting is that in the lease NYCTA states "In anticipation of an accelerated subway railcar overhaul plan....." that reads to me like some rebuilds are coming soon and the subway cars are going to be departing and arriving via NY/NJrail barge and run through the streets of brooklyn. I wonder which models they are rebuilding.

Is anyone here familiar with the schedules of trains on the SBK and Bay Ridge Branch? I'd love to try rail-fanning them, but they don't appear to be frequently used.

Your 9-minute Thursday report in 2413 words.

##top-10 athletes receive awards

On Thursday, Pashinyan issued awards and monetary gifts to athletes who were voted best in 2021:

Arthur Aleksanyan (Silver in Tokyo Olympics wrestling)

Malkhas Amoyan (Gold in world wrestling)

Hovhannes Bachkov (Bronze in world boxing)

Arthur Davtyan (Bronze in Olympic athletics)

Varazdat Lalayan (Gold in U23 European weightlifting)

Elina Danielyan (Gold in European chess)

Arsen Harutyunyan (Bronze in world wrestling)

Simon Martirosyan (Bronze in world weightlifting)

Gor Minasyan (Bronze in world weightlifting)

Davit Chaloyan (Silver in world boxing)

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072076.html https://youtu.be/akHWyMo-XkM

##2021 budget revenues surpassed estimates by $300 million

IRS chief: this year's budget revenue was expected to be ֏1.440 trillion. The number exceeded by ֏146 billion.

The rise in revenue was partly because of the new mining export tax that we imposed recently. Here are the numbers with and without the new mining tax:

+14% from 2020 with the new tax, +11% without it.

+8% from 2019 with the new tax, +5% without it.

 

The year will end with a record amount of tax refunds:

2019: ֏180b

2020: ֏140b

2021: ֏185b

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072031.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072047.html

##Pashinyan: one of the important events of 2021 is that the government is now a shareholder in the Zangezur copper plant

Pashinyan: the recent decision to increase taxes on mining export was justified. These taxes will last until we implement a new [fair] royalty system.

It will be flexible. When the global prices increase, the royalty fees will also increase to protect the public interest. When global prices drop, the system will protect the business's interests.

One of the important indicators of 2021 is that the government is now a shareholder in ZCMC. //

https://factor.am/459733.html

##Finance Minister: capital spending performance was 86% this year

Khachatryan: we should use this as a bar for ourselves for next year because the 2022 budget will allocate significantly more funds for capital spending.

Pashinyan: 86% may not be perfect, but it's higher compared to previous years.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1072033.html

##750 km of roads were built in 2021

Infrastructure Minister Sanosyan: this year was difficult because we built severa

Good afternoon to everyone except Alec Baldwin. This is your 12-minute Thursday report in 3079 words.

##Pashinyan met the newly appointed Yerevan mayor Hrachya Sargsyan to discuss the reforms

Pashinyan: there was an institutional problem in the municipality, and it was resolved institutionally. What do I mean by that?

Yerevan has been implementing My Step bloc's pre-election program since 2018. In turn, that program was based on Yelk's 2017 program. [Pashinyan used to be a member of Yelk alliance and ran for Yerevan mayor against Taron Margaryan in 2017.]

The political responsibility lies with the My Step bloc and the Council majority. It is necessary to implement the program fully. Being the 1st deputy mayor, Mr. Sargsyan has been a full participant in the process to implement that program.

I attach importance to the process that took place, in terms of the establishment of state institutions. You are aware that settlements with a population of over 4,000 hold new elections, and it's the council that appoints a mayor. It is impossible to work without the council's majority support.

It is very important that today we have a harmonious situation between the mayor of Yerevan and the Council. The mayor must also cooperate with the opposition members of the Council. Here, too, the unifying role is very important.

So far we have provided all the support to the Yerevan municipality, and that support will continue. We will discuss the reform program's speed and direction. I wish you all best of luck. //

Mayor Hrachyan Sargsyan: I realize how big the responsibility is. I'm aware of the institutions we have today and what needs to be reformed to withstand shocks and carry out the functionality.

With the help of the government, we can implement programs that for some reason have been ignored for years. We have the potential. We just need effective management. //

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1071505.html

##the government approves another €20M loan to improve Yerevans bus network

It likely needs to be ratified by the Parliament. EBRD said it was extending a €20M sovereign loan to Armenia for the benefit of the Yerevan Bus Company.

The new low-floor buses will accommodate passengers with limited movement, including the elderly and disabled.

https://arka.am/en/news/society/armenian_government_gives_permission_for_ratification_of_ebrd_loan_to_improve_public_transport_in_ye/

##the government approves new

This is your 12-minute Tuesday report in 3014 words.

##government wants to find alternatives to Georgia's problematic Upper Lars cargo route

It's the only land route Armenia currently has to its main trade partner Russia. It's closed "half of the year" because of bad weather, bad traffic, or bad politics between Georgia and Russia. Armenian exporters face the consequences.

Economy Ministry: we drafted a bill that offers to reimburse Armenian companies if they use the Poti-Caucasus Port-Poti ferry.

The proposal is necessary because our only land route to Russia is routinely closed, causing problems for Armenian cargo. Since ferry is more expensive than land, and can reduce Armenian product's competitiveness in foreign markets, we are willing to compensate.

Our trade is growing with EAEU member states, yet Upper Lars remains our only land connection to them.

Upper Lars can only handle 170 cargo and 200 passenger vehicles per day in two directions. The traffic exceeds this capacity by orders of magnitude during certain periods. Armenian vehicles cross it 10,000 times a year.

The approval of the bill will help Armenian cargo companies during the seasonal high-fee periods. This can greatly increase cargo exports and make Armenian products more competitive. //

The subsidy for one-way ferry transfer is ֏0.5M, or ֏1M for two-way.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1071267.html

##Pashinyan discussed the Persian Gulf-Black Sea railway project during Georgia trip

Pashinyan: I believe the launch of the Gulf-Sea international route can boost regional cooperation.

Bilateral cooperation in the field of transport is a priority for us. We view relations with Georgia not only in the sphere of bilateral but also in the sphere of regional cooperation. We can help each other.

We have two Gulf-Sea route projects: vehicle and railway.

Vehicle: we are developing the North-South highway network in Armenia. It connects the Georgian border to the Iran border. We're working with Georgian and Iranian colleagues to make the road more efficient. If we are also able to come to an agreement with Azerbaijan, this project could expand and become North-South and East-West.

The Sochi and Brussels meetings created the opportunity to possibly come to an agreement with Azerbaijan over restoring vehicle routes. As for railway connection, we already have an agreement with Aliyev over principles. It's abo