The Touristic Eastern Express, one of Türkiye’s flagship rail tourism products, launches its 2025-2026 winter season services tomorrow, with operations set to continue until March 1, 2026, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced on social media on Sunday.
Uraloğlu said the train will once again carry passengers across Türkiye’s eastern rail corridor, combining scenic travel with cultural discovery. Since its introduction in 2019, the Touristic Eastern Express has hosted tens of thousands of domestic and international visitors, helping position rail travel as a distinctive tourism experience.
“Along its route, the train will not only offer panoramic landscapes but also provide passengers with opportunities to explore the cultural identity of the cities it passes through," Uraloğlu said.
The train will operate a total of 60 services during the season and is expected to serve 10,800 passengers. Services on the Ankara-Kars line, linking Ankara in central Türkiye with Kars in eastern Türkiye, will run on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between Dec. 22, 2025, and Feb. 27, 2026. Return services from Kars to Ankara will operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays until March 1, 2026.
The route spans 1,360 kilometers (845 miles), with the full journey taking approximately 33 hours, including scheduled stops. On the outbound trip from Ankara to Kars, the train will stop for 2 hours and 30 minutes in Erzincan, eastern Türkiye, and 4 hours in Erzurum, eastern Türkiye. On the return journey, passengers will have extended stops of 3 hours in Iliç, 2 hours and 30 minutes in Divriği, and 3 hours in Sivas, central Türkiye, allowing time to explore historic districts and local attractions.
Uraloğlu said the winter journey offers postcard-like views of snow-covered mountains, valleys and historic structures, making the experience particularly attractive during the colder months.
The Touristic Eastern Express is composed of eight sleeping cars, each featuring 10 compartments, along with one dining car, providing a total passenger capacity of 160 people. Each sleeping compartment accommodates two passengers, offering comfort for long-distance travel.
Highlighting the train’s growing popularity, Uraloğlu said the service has become one of Türkiye’s most recognizable tourism brands. “Since 2019, the Touristic Eastern Express has welcomed more than 81,000 passengers. It attracts strong interest from young travelers, photography enthusiasts and nature lovers, and continues to make a meaningful contribution to regional tourism,” he said.
