The Baku Tbilisi Kars (BTK) or Baku Tbilisi Akhalkalaki Kars railway (BTAK) is a 826-kilometre (513-mile) railroad that links Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey (Türkiye).
It was due to be completed by 2010. But after years of delays, it is still not fully operational.
Primarily a freight train, part of the ‘New Silk Road’ link between Europe and Asia, the BTAK will also accommodate passengers. I am following the development of this project from a travellers’ perspective and am very interested in what it will mean for travel in the region.
For starters, it will be Georgia’s only rail link with Turkey, opening up overland travel from Tbilisi to Istanbul via Kars and Ankara. It will also renew the possibility of a Georgian-Azerbaijan overland itinerary.
As a train nerd, I always make a point of driving alongside the new tracks whenever I am travelling around Georgia. I have already seen some of the new stations from afar, and I must say the new infrastructure looks quite impressive.
When this train officially launches, I will be among the first in line to buy tickets! In the meantime, let’s explore the route and see what insights we can glean about the future of overland travel in this region.
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Is the Baku Tbilisi Kars passenger train running?
First things first: Can you travel from Georgia to Turkey and Azerbaijan by train?
The short answer is no – the Baku Tbilisi Kars railway is operational as of October 2017, but only for freight services.
Passenger trains have not yet commenced, and there is no official launch date. At this point in time, everything is speculation. I am watching the news closely and will return to update this as soon as there is an announcement.
Passenger trains were supposed to start running in summer 2019. Despite the delays, it is more or less guaranteed that travellers will be able to use this train eventually. Azerbaijan (who will jointly administer the passenger service with Georgia) has already invested in rolling stock from Stadler (more info on carriages and classes below).
In this recent article, it was reported that 95% of work on the line has been completed, and that it should be complete by this summer.
However, with Azerbaijan’s land borders still closed to incoming travellers, there needs to be a policy change on this matter before trains can start. In August 2023, it was reported in Georgian media that Azerbaijan’s border reopening might coincide with the BTAK launch.
Based on the available information, I anticipate that BTAK passenger trains will start running in late spring or summer 2024. This is just one of my regional travel predictions for 2024!
Interesting facts about the Baku Tbilisi Kars railway
The BTAK spans a total distance of 826 kilometres or 513 miles.
The bulk of the line (around 500 km) lies in Azerbaijan, while around 260 km runs through Georgia, and a short section of approximately 80 km is in Turkey. (I know those numbers don’t quite add up, but it’s the best I could find!)
The Azerbaijan section of the railway makes use of existing tracks, with improvements made to the signalling system.
In Georgia, around 30 km of new line has been laid and 153 km rehabilitated. This includes 32 rail bridges and 4.6 km of tunnels.
The main project in Turkey was to construct a 4.45 km mountain tunnel across the border. This creates a brand new crossing between Georgia and Turkey at Canbaz-Karsakhi.
It is a fourth crossing to complement existing immigration points at Hopa-Sarpi on the Black Sea Coast, Posof-Vale near Akhaltsikhe, and Cildir-Aktas-Kartsakhi.
Someone once told me that this will be the highest passenger railway in Europe. Of course it doesn’t come close to reaching the same heights as the Jungfrau Railway in Switzerland, but I think what they meant is that it will be the longest sustained railway at a high elevation. To be confirmed!
The average elevation of the Javakheti Plateau, where the main part of the Georgia section runs, is 1,800 metres above sea level. Kars and Eastern Turkey are about the same.
Javakheti is breathtakingly beautiful, so whether this is true or not, I know for a fact that the scenery on this journey will be incredible, especially in the snowy winter. I am hopeful that the BTAK will bring more tourists and jobs to this underrated part of Georgia.
The BTAK will have an annual capacity of one million passengers and the ability to carry more than 15 million tons of freight.
Interestingly, passengers on this train will experience a change of gauge. That’s because Georgia and Azerbaijan both use Russian broad gauge lines, while the new tracks in Georgia and Turkey have been constructed at standard gauge to comply with Turkey’s rail network.
A gauge-changing facility has already been installed near Akhalkalaki, and the rolling stock for this route will come equipped with adjustable wheelsets.
This project has been in the works since 2007, when Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev, Georgia’s Mikheil Saakashvili and Turkey’s Abdullah Gül signed an agreement. The first tracks were laid that year.
The BTAK is part of the New Silk Road initiative and forms an important link between Europe and Asia. Using this overland route, it takes just 15 days for freight to reach Istanbul from South Korea, twice as fast as sea shipping.
The three nations of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey are already linked by the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas line. The project is also important as a railway corridor that eliminates the need to travel through Russia.
Also consider that the BTAK bypasses Armenia, essentially rendering the Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi railway that has not been operational since 1993 redundant. In terms of regional and global politics, the BTAK has meaningful implications.
Where will the train from Azerbaijan to Turkey stop? Route & railway stations
There are 21 railway stations on the BTAK line. This includes:
- Azerbaijan: 8 stations
- Georgia: 9 stations
- Turkey: 4 stations
It is not known whether the passenger train will call into all of these stations.
Similarly, it is unclear whether passengers will be able to use this train for domestic travel or if it will be limited to international journeys. It would be great if the train had day carriages to open up the southern part of Georgia, where there are no passenger railway services currently.
It has not been explicitly confirmed that this service will replace the Baku Tbilisi night train, which I first took back in 2017. But my assumption is yes.
Stations in Azerbaijan
The BTAK originates in Azerbaijan’s capital city, Baku, and travels along the existing rail line north-west towards Tbilisi.
The train passes stations in Hajigabul, Ujar, Ganja, Govlar, Tovuz and Aghstafa before crossing the Georgian border at Boyuk-Kesik-Gardabani.
The train then runs through Rustavi and Gachiani before arriving at Tbilisi Central Railway Station.
Stations in Georgia
From Tbilisi, the train moves south to Krtsanisi, Kumisi and Marabda. In Kvemo Kartli region, there are stations in Tsintskaro and Tetritskaro. The latter is close to Samshvilde and Birtvisi Canyons, where some of Georgia’s best day hikes are found.
The railway then snakes north to find the highway where it moves due west towards Tsalka. It crosses the Chikiani Pass into Samtskhe-Javakheti region and runs along the shore of Lake Paravani, Georgia’s largest lake by surface area.
As I mentioned, this part of Georgia has incredible landscapes – it will undeniably be the most scenic stretch of the journey, so I hope it takes place during daylight hours!
The train passes smaller Saghamo Lake before heading west again through the outskirts of Ninotsminda. Here, a flashy new railway station has already been built in Mamzvara.
Ninotsminda is the gateway to the Javakheti Protected Areas, with its lakes and birdwatching opportunities. It is also very close to the Armenian border, so this might present an opportunity for passengers to alight and cross by road at Ninotsminda-Bavra.
The BTAK continues southwest along the edge of Javakheti National Park to its final stop in Georgia, Kartsakhi.
Stations in Turkey
The train then crosses into Turkey via the new tunnel-border at Karsakhi-Canbaz.
Stations in Turkey have not been mapped to the best of my knowledge, but we know that the train will call into three stations before culminating in Kars.
Baku Kars train map
Here is a quick map I made of the route and stations based on the information available online.
How long will it take to travel from Baku to Kars?
The journey time from Baku to Kars by train is unknown. But I can make an educated guess based on the following:
Consider that the trip from Baku to Tbilisi takes just over 12 hours. The line through southern Georgia covers around 50% of that distance, so 6 hours travel time roughly. The line in Turkey is only 80 km, so say 2 hours. That’s a total of 20 hours.
Add time for immigration procedures and station calls, and I would estimate a total travel time of 24-26 hours.
But – the Tbilisi Baku route used old Soviet-era carriages, while the BTAK will carry modern Stadler trains, capable of reaching speeds of up to 160 km/h (99 mph). There is no guarantee that trains will travel anywhere near maximum speed – the Tbilisi Batumi train has taught us that – but still, it should reduce travel time significantly.
It should definitely be possible to travel from Azerbaijan to Turkey by rail via Georgia in around 24 hours.
What will the train be like? Carriages, classes & amenities on the BTAK
The passenger arm of the BTAK will use Swiss-made Stadler rolling stock. According to media reports, each train will include 10 cars:
- 1 first-class car with 16 compartments sleeping 2 passengers each, all with an ensuite bathroom including shower
- 6 second-class cars with 34 beds arranged in 4-person coupes plus a shared toilet-shower
- 1 first-second-class car with 20 additional beds, including family compartments
- 1 car with 16 additional second-class compartments plus facilities for accessible travellers and crew
- 1 dining car with 28 seats
Click here for a 360-degree virtual tour of the sleeper cars.
Based on this, there will be three types of tickets for the Baku Kars train: First class, second class, and first-second (family) class.
There is no train in Georgia, domestic or international, with a dining car. I’m so excited to see what will be on the menu!
Azerbaijan has signed a deal to purchase three of these 10-carriage passenger trains. Based on this, I infer that the trains will run every day.
Latest news articles about the Baku Tbilisi Kars railway
Here is a summary of important announcements concerning the BTAK passenger train. I will add new links here as they are released.
- December 2023: A second Stadler train is delivered to Baku – via Caliber.az.
- August 2023: Azerbaijan suggests a high-speed passenger train will be launched when borders open, “within the framework of our post-pandemic measures package” – via Business Insider Georgia (in Georgian).
- December 2020: The first China-bound freight train arrives in Georgia – via Agenda.ge.
- March 2019: The first passenger coach is tested – via Caspian News.
- October 2017: The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars launches – via Eurasianet.
Have you heard any updates about the Georgia Turkey Azerbaijan train? Are you looking forward to riding the BTAK once it officially launches?
More ideas for train travel
- Tbilisi-Baku sleeper train, a complete guide
- Tbilisi-Yerevan overnight train, a complete guide
- Podgorica to Bar, Montenegro’s scenic railway
- Europe by rail, itinerary ideas for your next train journey
- What to pack for a long train trip, the essential packing list
This is very interesting. I was concerning about the delays in opening the line to passenger transport but a Georgian friend gave me some inside information on the whole saga. Apparently a VIP (no names!) believed the trains to be haunted and put a stop to them crossing Georgia.
The new rolling stock from Switzerland is haunted!? I haven’t heard that theory before!
Thanks Emily, very interesting to read about it! We’re taking the Dogu express from Ankara to Kars this summer and I’m hoping the railroad opens just in time for us to go to Tbilisi! I’m reading concerning stories about the bus from Kars to Tbilisi… Let’s hope for the best!
I have been wanting to do Ankara-Kars for the longest time! Very jealous. Fingers crossed – although it was just announced that the border restrictions will remain in place until July 1.
What disturbing stories about the Kars-Tbilisi bus? Do disasters happen?
Thank you for this post. I have recently become a fan of night trains and am keen to travel this route. Will be good for the Caucasus region as a whole to have a passenger link to the rest of Europe via Turkey.
Agreed! Let’s hope it does start up this year.
This is such a great, niche blog, Emily! Your interests run wide and deep. I rode many trains in my time in Russia & the North Caucasus and it was by far my favorite mode of transport if not flying, so I also am interested to see how this develops. You are bold to make predictions of when the Azerbaijan land border will re-open, as many before you have done so. If you get that prediction right, we will all be forced to accept your word on all other matters moving forward. Keep the good content flowing!
Thanks very much, Andrew! Let’s see what the future holds for the train line… I certainly hope my prediction pans out!
In 2017 I naively booked a trip to Georgia thinking my sister and I would be able to take the new train to Kars. We arrived in Tbilisi in 2018 without a clear plan for how to get to Kars. After much running around we were able to book seats on the Tbilisi – Tehran bus and got dropped off close to Kars. A great experience but I am looking forward to actually taking the train next time.
Oh dear, an unplanned adventure! I’m glad you still made the most of it. Let’s hope we will both be able to ride this train soon!