Touristic Eastern Express
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Scenic Inter-city rail |
| Status | Operating |
| Locale | North-Central, Central, North-Eastern Anatolia |
| First service | May 29, 2019 |
| Current operator(s) | TCDD Taşımacılık |
| Former operator(s) | Turkish State Railways |
| Route | |
| Termini | Ankara railway station Kars railway station |
| Stops | 27 (short), 2 (long) |
| Distance travelled | 1,365 km (848 mi) |
| Average journey time | 32 hours |
| Service frequency | Three times a week |
| On-board services | |
| Sleeping arrangements | 6 Sleeping cars |
| Catering facilities | 1 Dining car |
| Technical | |
| Rolling stock | TVS2000 |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
| Track owner(s) | Turkish State Railways (TCDD) |
The Touristic Eastern Express (Turkish: Turistik Doğu Ekspresi) is a scenic passenger train operated by the TCDD Taşımacılık. The train runs from December to March[1] eastward 1,365 km (848 mi) from Ankara railway station to Kars railway station. The train service debuted on 29 May 2019 with an official ceremony attended by government ministers. The service was established as an alternative to the regular Eastern Express, which runs the same line but was mostly sold-out weeks in advance in recent years for sightseeing purposes.[2]
The Touristic Eastern Express departs from Ankara at 16:55 hours and arrives in Kars after 32 hours.[3] Departure time in Kars is at 23:55 hours. It leaves Ankara on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and return from Kars is on Wednesdays, Fridays or Sundays. The train with nine cars, including six sleeping cars, one dining car, and two service cars, and has a capacity of 120 passengers.[2][4] This train services suspended between 28 March 2020-15 December 2021 due the COVID-19 pandemic. On 15 December 2021, train restarted the operations from Ankara with a ceremony attended by Adil Karaismailoğlu, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure.
