Eastern ExpressTrain service in Turkey Eastern ExpressOverviewService typeInter-city railStatusOperatingLocaleNorth-Central, Central, North-Eastern AnatoliaFirst service1936Current operatorTCDD TaşımacılıkFormer operatorTurkish State RailwaysRouteTerminiAnkara railway stationKars railway station, KarsStops47Distance travelled1,944 km (1,208 mi)Average journey time32 hours, 27 minutes (Eastbound)Service frequencyDailyTrain numbers11410 (Eastbound)41409 (Westbound)On-board servicesDisabled accessLimitedSeating arrangementsCoachSleeping arrangements2 CouchettesPrivate sleeping carsCatering facilitiesDining CarBaggage facilitiesOverhead baggage storageTechnicalRolling stockTVS2000Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)ElectrificationAnkara-Sivas (25 kV AC)Operating speed120 km/h (75 mph) max80 km/h (50 mph) averageTrack ownerTurkish State RailwaysRoute map Legend km 0,000 Servicesuspended 0,000 Haydarpaşa(Istanbul) 1 Söğütlüçeşme 9 Bostancı 24 Pendik IstanbulKocaeli border 44 Gebze 63 Hereke 83 Derince 91 İzmit KocaeliSakarya border 131 Arifiye 156 Afuatpaşa 167 Pamukova 181 Mekece SakaryaBilecik border 195 Osmaneli 214 Vezirhan 231 Bilecik 248 Karaköy 256 Ayvalı 263 Bozüyük BilecikEskişehir border 313 Eskişehir 352 Alpu 374 Beylikova 405 Yunusemre 418 Sazak EskişehirAnkara border 467 Beylikköprü 486 Polatlı 504 Yenidoğan 521 Malıköy 535 Esenkent 551 Sincan 0,576 Ankara 588 Kayaş 619 Elmadağ AnkaraKırıkkale border 645 Irmak 668 Kırıkkale 677 Mahmutlar 772 Çerikli KırıkkaleYozgat border YozgatKırşehir border KırşehirYozgat border 781 Yerköy 815 Şefaatlı 832 Sarıkent YozgatNevşehir border NevşehirYozgat border 865 Yenifakılı YozgatKayseri border 940 Boğazköprü 955 Kayseri 1,000 Tuzhisar 1,020 Sarıoğlan 1,034 Karaözü KayseriSivas border 1,050 Yeniçubuk 1,086 Sarıkışla 1,126 Bedırlı 1,178 Sivas 1,206 Bostankaya 1,247 Ayvaz 1,254 Karagöl 1,274 Kangal 1,289 Çetinkaya 1,305 Avşar 1,319 Güneş 1,326 Göcentaşı 1,340 Cürek 1,351 Demirdağ 1,354 Divriğ SivasErzincan border 1,380 Çaltı ErzincanSivas border 1,388 Pingan SivasErzincan border 1,398 Bağıştaş 1,408 İliç 1,427 Güllübağ 1,438 Yahşiler 1,445 Eriç 1,462 Kemah 1,478 Alp 1,510 Erzincan 1,542 Tanyeri ErzincanTunceli border TunceliErzincan border 1,575 Demirkapı 1,598 Mercan 1,610 Çadırkaya 1,623 Erbaş 1,638 Karasu ErzincanErzurum border 1,669 Aşkale 1,685 Kandilli 1,709 Ilıca 1,725 Erzurum 1,743 Uzunahmet 1,765 Hasankale 1,782 Köprüköy 1,810 Horasan ErzurumKars border 1,836 Süngütaşı 1,841 Karaurgan 1,849 Topdağ 1,881 Sarıkamış 1,906 Selim 1,941 Kars This diagram: viewtalkedit The Eastern Express (Turkish: Doğu Ekspresi) is an overnight passenger train operated by TCDD Taşımacılık. The train runs from Ankara to Kars.
Ankara railway stationAnkara railway station (Turkish: Ankara Garı) is the main railway station in Ankara, Turkey, and is a major transportation hub within the city. The station is on the rail corridor which connects east and west Turkey, which is high speed between Istanbul and Sivas. Ankara station is also a hub for YHT high-speed trains, with its own exclusive platforms and concourse.
Passenger trainA passenger train is a train used to transport people along a railroad line, as opposed to a freight train that carries goods. These trains may consist of unpowered passenger railroad cars (also known as coaches or carriages) hauled by one or more locomotives, or may be self-propelled; self propelled passenger trains are known as multiple units or railcars. Passenger trains stop at stations or depots, where passengers may board and disembark.
Kars railway stationKars station (Turkish: Kars garı) is a railway station, serving the eastern Turkish city of Kars. It is one of the easternmost stations on the Trans-Anatolian railway. The Eastern Express services Kars once a day to Istanbul. Between 1993 and 2011, there was no train service east of Kars due to the Turkish-Armenian border closure.
Erzincan ProvinceErzincan Province (Turkish: Erzincan ili); is a province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. In Turkey, its capital is also called Erzincan. Its area is 11,815 km2, and its population is 239,223 (2022).
ErzurumErzurum (Armenian: Կարին, romanized: Karin; Kurdish: Erzîrom) is a city in eastern Turkey. It is the largest city and capital of Erzurum Province and is 1,900 meters (6,233 feet) above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 367,250 in 2010. It is the site of ancient Theodosiopolis. The city uses the double-headed eagle as its coat-of-arms, a motif that has been a common symbol throughout Anatolia since the Bronze Age.
Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (Turkey)The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (Turkish: Ulaştırma ve Altyapı Bakanlığı) is a government ministry office of the Republic of Turkey, responsible for transport, information and communication services in Turkey. Its head office is in Ankara. The current minister is Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, in office since June 2023.
İliçİliç (Kurdish: Îlîç; Armenian: Լիճք, romanized: Lich) is a town in Erzincan Province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. It is the seat of İliç District. Its population is 4,713 (2022). Its elevation is 1,060 m. The mayor is Mustafa Gürbüz (AKP). The town is just upstream of the Bağıştaş 1 Dam. EtymologyThe name "İliç" comes from the towns former Armenian name "Լիճք" (Lichk), meaning lakes.
COVID-19 pandemicPandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2DiseaseCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)PathogenSevere acute respiratory syndromecoronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2)SourceBats (indirectly)LocationWorldwideIndex caseWuhan, China30°37′11″N114°15′28″E / 30.61972°N 114.25778°E / 30.61972; 114.257781 December 2019(6 years, 10 months and 1 week ago)DatesDescribed as a pandemic by the WHO: 11 March 2020 (6 years and 6 months ago) Public health emergency of international concern: 30 January 2020 – 5 May 2023 (3 years, 3 months and 5 days)Confirmed cases779,277,425Suspected casesFar higher (>70% of the world population, by the end of 2022)Deaths7,115,706 (reported)18.5–35.2 million (estimated)Fatality rateAs of 10 March 2023: 1.02%The global COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
Adil KaraismailoğluAdil Karaismailoğlu (born 1969) is a Turkish politician, mechanical engineer, and civil servant. Adil Karaismailoğlu was born in Trabzon, northern Turkey in 1969. After finishing the Trabzon High School, he studied Mechanical engineering at Karadeniz Technical University graduating with the title B.Eng. He later earned his M.Eng. title in Urban Systems and Transportation management from Bahçeşehir University.
TCDD TransportTCDD Transport or Turkish State Railways Transport (Turkish: TCDD Taşımacılık, reporting mark TCDDT) is a government-owned railway company responsible for the operations of most passenger and freight rail in Turkey. The company was formed on 14 June 2016, splitting off from Turkish State Railways (TCDD) to take over railway operations, while TCDD would continue to administer railway infrastructure. TCDD Taşımacılık officially began operations on 1 January 2017.
Turkish languageTurkic languageTurkish (Türkçe, Türk dili, also known as Türkiye Türkçesi 'Turkish of Turkey') is the most widely spoken of the Turkic languages, with around 90 million speakers. It is the national language of Turkey and one of two official languages of Cyprus. Significant smaller groups of Turkish speakers also exist in Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Greece, other parts of Europe, the South Caucasus, and some parts of Central Asia, Iraq, and Syria.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.