Kars-Erzurum Touristic Express makes 1st trip

KARS

Launched between the two eastern provinces to meet the increasing passenger demand during the semester break, the Kars-Erzurum Touristic Express has made its first trip.

The Transportation and Infrastructure Ministry announced that a new expedition work has been started following the high demand for the touristic Eastern Express, the 30-hour train journey between the capital Ankara and Kars.

In order to meet the increasing tourist demand during the semester break, a new train named Kars-Erzurum Touristic Express was put into operation between the two cities.

The Kars-Erzurum Tourist Express, which made its first voyage on Jan. 21, will run every day until Jan. 31.

The express will only work on Saturdays and Sundays from February onward.

The train trip, which lasts about three hours, also includes Sarıkamış in Erzurum.

The ministry stated that the trains have a capacity of 234 passengers, while tickets can be purchased on the official website, mobile applications and ticket offices.

“We introduce the hidden beauties of our country to both our citizens and tourists. The developments in railway transportation also affected the travel preferences of our citizens,” the ministry expressed.

“We have recreated the spring weather on the railways. We know that railways are of strategic importance for Türkiye. With this awareness, we raise the railways as if combining the pieces of the mosaic.”

The Eastern Express made its first journey of the 2022-2023 season in December 2022.

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 this winter season.

With the Eastern Express, which made its first journey on May 29, 2019, some 13,544 passengers traveled on a total of 62 journeys in 2021.

According to ticket sale sites, the price of an economy class seat is 189 Turkish Liras ($10), while the price of a round trip ticket for traveling in a sleeping car starts from 2,000 liras ($107).