ADY expands passenger capacity on Baku–Tbilisi–Baku trains

Azerbaijan Railways CJSC (ADY), an AZCON Holding company, continues to render broader and more accessible travel services for passengers aimed at enhancing passenger satisfaction and addressing the growing passenger demand on the Baku-Tbilisi-Baku international route.

Starting on July 10, 2026, three units of sleeper-type carriages (currently used as standard+ class carriages on domestic routes) will be added to the trains operating on the Baku-Tbilisi-Baku international route. As a result, 104 additional passenger seats will offered per trip, and the number of passenger seats on a single journey will increase by approximately 60 percent, from the current 178 to 282.

Tickets for the additional carriages are on sale starting today with a price tag cheaper than the ticket prices for the "Stadler" passenger cars currently in use. Specifically, on the Baku-Tbilisi-Baku route, the standard+ class fare starts from 40.3 AZN (USD 23.7) depending on distance. For a one-way travel, the minimum fare from Baku to Tbilisi is 65.2 AZN (USD 38.3), from Yevlakh 53.3 AZN (USD 31.5), from Ganja 49.3 AZN (USD 29), and from Aghstafa 45.3 AZN (USD 26.6). From Boyuk Kesik to Tbilisi and Gardabani railway stations, the fares are 43.4 (USD 25.50) and 40.3 AZN (USD 23.7) respectively.

The current price tag for a one-way travel on the "Stadler" carriages from Baku to Tbilisi is 79.5 AZN (USD 46.7), and from Ganja it is 58.2 AZN (USD 34.2).

This latest update by ADY enable more passengers to travel on the Baku-Tbilisi-Baku route at a more affordable price. Compared to the Stadler type carriages, the free baggage allowance in the standard+ type sleeper carriages is set 13 kg more at 36 kg, taking into account the technical characteristics and structural capabilities of these carriages. In order to ensure passenger comfort, mobile catering, i.e., mobile sales service, will be organized in the standard+ carriages.

From May 25 to July 6, nearly 25,000 tickets were sold and nearly 14,000 passengers were transported on the Baku-Tbilisi-Baku route. Of these, 6,356 people boarded the train from Tbilisi, 4,343 from Baku, 1,112 from Ganja, 808 from Yevlakh, 520 from Aghstafa, and others from other stations. This shows that approximately 40 percent of those traveling on the Baku-Tbilisi-Baku route come from the regions.

Overall, as a result of the projects implemented by ADY in recent years to expand its service geography and increase passenger satisfaction, the number of people preferring to travel by train has increased. In the first 6 months of 2026, more than 5.4 million passengers were transported by rail. This represents an increase of nearly 20 percent compared to the same period last yearchr("39")s figure (4.6 million people).