Baku suburban railway
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| Baku suburban railway | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Overview | |||
| Owner | Azerbaijan Railways | ||
| Locale | Baku, Azerbaijan | ||
| Transit type | Commuter rail | ||
| Number of lines | 2 (2 more planned) | ||
| Number of stations | 15 (54 Total Planned) (About total 340 km) | ||
| Annual ridership | 8,500,000 (2024) | ||
| Headquarters | Baku | ||
| Website | Azerbaijan Railways Official Site | ||
| Operation | |||
| Began operation | 21 May 2019 | ||
| Operator(s) | ADY | ||
| Technical | |||
| System length | 91 km (57 mi)[1] | ||
| Track gauge | 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) Russian gauge | ||
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The Baku suburban railway (Azerbaijani: Bakı şəhərətrafı dəmir yolu) or Absheron Circular line (Azerbaijani: Abşeron dairəvi xətti) is a 91 km (57 mi) commuter rail service which began in 2019, serving the Azerbaijani capital Baku.[2]
In 2016, Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways Javid Gurbanov confirmed that work was underway on a 25 km (16 mi) railway line to Heydar Aliyev International Airport from Baku's main station.[3]
In 2018, president Ilham Aliyev announced funding for a suburban rail service for Baku.[4] The 100 million manat project was to include upgrading the existing railway between Baku and Sumqayıt via Biləcəri, as well as bring back into use the disused route connecting the two cities via Sabunçu and Pirşağı. The plans included 23 stations on the route, which would also have branches to Dübandi and Maştağa, with a branch serving the airport being built in a later phase.
The initial phase of the service was launched in May 2019, connecting Baku station with Sabunçu via four intermediate stations.[5][6] By 2020, the line was extended to Sumqayit, linking to the existing Baku–Sumqayit railway to form a circle line.
Stations
Interchange with Baku Metro
| # | Transfer | At | Terminus |
|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | Red | 28 May (Baku Metro) | Westward |
| M2 | Green | Jafar Jabbarly (Baku Metro) | Westward |
| M1 | Red | Koroglu (Baku Metro) | Eastward |
Future
| # | Transfer | At | Terminus |
|---|---|---|---|
| M3 | Purple | Keshla-1[9] | Westward |
| M4 | Blue | Keshla-2[10] | Westward |
| M3 | Purple | Avtovagzal (Baku Metro) | Westward |
| M2 | Green | Bakikhanov-1[11] | Eastward |
| M4 | Blue | Bakikhanov-2[12] | Eastward |
| M2 | Green | Koroglu-2[13] | Eastward |
| M2 | Green | Darnagul (Baku Metro) | Eastward |
Transport exchange centers
History
The first Elektrichka ran on July 6, 1926, along the Baku–Sabunchi line in Soviet Azerbaijan.
Rolling stock
Current
ESh2-019 (since 2019)
Stadler KISS electric multiple unit at Baku
,_Baku,_2017-09.jpg)
Former
- Baku-Sabunchi electric multiple units (1926-c. 1940)
- S electric trainset (1940-????)
- ER2 (1970s-2004)
Baku-Sabunchi electric multiple units
S elektrichka trainset, depicted in a 1996 postage stamp
ER2 elektrichka
Future plans
13 more stations are planned toward to the East, including 
Baku International Airport.
A total of 20 passenger railroad stations are planned to be reconstructed / commissioned / built on the Absheron Peninsula by the end of 2027, including the construction of 4 new stations between Balajari Station and Baku Railway Station, AzVision.az reports, referring to the 'Baku city General Plan 2040.
