Eastern Express

Covering one of the longest routes in Turkey and offering over 24 hours of train travel, the Eastern Express resumed its services after a suspension due to coronavirus-related restrictions in the country.

The Turkish railways have posted record figures in freight and passenger transportation for 2019, the country's transport minister said.

The total passenger numbers through Turkey's railways reached 149.8 million, said Cahit Turhan on Feb. 25.

The number of passengers travelled through high-speed trains grew 2 percent year-on-year to 8.3 million in 2019, he said.

While people in big cities welcomed the new year of 2020 with parties, concerts and fireworks, dozens of others opted for a 24-hour journey to one of Turkey's easternmost provinces.

The Van Lake Express is now an alternative to the popular Eastern Express, after travelers have been finding it increasingly difficult to find a seat on the latter.

Some 40 undocumented migrants have been detained on the Eastern Express, a popular train service linking Ankara with the eastern province of Kars, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Feb. 28. 

With the winter approaching, the demand for seats on the Eastern Express, a train service that links the capital Ankara with the eastern province of Kars, has surged again, as the number of tickets sold so far for the winter months reached 10,000. Click through for the story in photos...

Eastern Express attracts interest of students, tourists

Turkish Transportation Minister Ahmet Arslan said on Dec. 31 that a surge in demand for seats on the Eastern Express, a train service that links Ankara with the Eastern province of Kars, could mean adding more wagons to the line.