OMM Redaksiyası
Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) is adding services on the Baku–Tbilisi–Baku route to meet rising demand for international passenger travel and expand travel options.
ADY told the Operative Information Center-OMM.
Starting Nov. 1, four daily services will operate on the Baku–Tbilisi–Baku route. The increase will raise the number of passenger seats from 386 to 564, an increase of nearly 50%.
The additional services will offer passengers lower-cost travel options. Tickets in standard class — formerly known as platzkart — on the new services will start at 36 manats. Passengers will be able to travel at prices 30% lower with this new budget option. The minimum one-way fare to Tbilisi will be 54 manats from Baku, 44 manats from Yevlakh, 41 manats from Ganja, 38 manats from Agstafa and 36 manats from Boyuk Kesik.
By comparison, the minimum fare on Stadler trains in comfort class is currently 77.50 manats from Baku to Tbilisi and 56.80 manats from Ganja.
Tickets for the additional services will go on sale on Oct. 2.
The new services will give passengers the option of daytime travel in addition to overnight trips. This will allow them to choose a departure time that suits their plans on the Baku–Tbilisi–Baku route.
Under the new schedule, the existing Baku–Tbilisi–Baku train will leave the capital at 11 p.m. and arrive in Tbilisi at 8:41 a.m. the following day. It will depart Tbilisi at 11 a.m. and arrive at Baku Railway Station at 8:26 p.m.
The train on the new service will leave Baku daily at 9:10 a.m. and arrive in the Georgian capital at 7:11 p.m. In the reverse direction, it will depart at 10 p.m. and arrive in Baku at 7:57 a.m. the following day.
ADY has introduced several changes to improve online ticket purchases on the Baku–Tbilisi–Baku route and prevent potential misuse. Passengers registered on the ADY website or in the ADY Mobile app must verify their account details using MyGov ID. The measure is intended to protect passengers’ interests and make online ticket purchases more secure. After entering their FIN code in the relevant section, account holders will see all the required information. Account verification must be completed to buy a ticket.
Foreign nationals must enter the name of their country of citizenship and a phone number from that country in the relevant section. After confirming the number using the one-time password (OTP) sent by SMS, they can change their personal information. Users who registered earlier must also verify their phone number with an OTP to buy tickets.
The additional services on the Baku–Tbilisi–Baku route became possible after the parties completed the necessary joint preparations, technical work and organizational arrangements, which had been underway for an extended period.
ADY said it would continue measures to improve service quality in international passenger transport, ensure comfortable and safe journeys, and meet rising demand.
