Eastern Express starts its first journey of winter season

ANKARA

The Eastern Express, the 30-hour train journey between the capital Ankara and the eastern province of Kars, has started its first journey of the 2022-2023 season.

Starting from Ankara, the Eastern Express visits five central Anatolian and eastern provinces - Kırıkkale, Kayseri, Sivas, Erzincan and Erzurum - before arriving at Kars, one of Türkiye’s winter tourism hotspots.

The Eastern Express completes the 1,300-kilometer Ankara-Kars route in 30 hours, while it is expected that some 13,760 passengers will travel with the express in this winter season.

Traveling on the Eastern Express with her daughter and granddaughter, Şöhret Karakaya said, “I am glad that I will travel with my daughter and granddaughter. Three generations will travel together. It was a tour we were looking forward to.”

“We came to Ankara from Istanbul to travel with the Eastern Express. I was born and raised in Kars, but my husband will see my hometown for the first time,” said another passenger Merve Işılay Şiban.

Şiban and her husband will only sleep for seven hours in order to observe the scenery of the places where the train will pass through during the 30-hour journey, she added.

“I think that a 30-hour journey with my wife, with whom I will share a lifetime together, will not be difficult. It will be an enjoyable and pleasant trip. Everyone needs to experience this journey,” said her husband Eray Şiban.

Another passenger, Derya Bayram, stated that she was excited about their visit to Kars as well as the touristic train journey.

“We are excited to be taking part in the first train journey of this season. We are looking forward to seeing a gorgeous snow landscape,” Bayram explained.

“I felt the warmth of people in the region even when we were talking on the phone. We expect a nice welcome,” she added.

With the Eastern Express, which made its first journey on May 29, 2019, some 13,544 passengers traveled on the total of 62 journeys last year.

According to ticket sale sites, the price of an economy class seat is 82.50 Turkish Liras ($4.40), while the price of a round trip ticket for traveling in a sleeping car starts from 2,000 liras ($107.40).