Sleeper train services between the Baku and Tbilisi are set to resume after a six-year gap, representing a game-changing travel opportunity for visitors and commuters across the South Caucasus. Daily passenger railway operations between the two capitals will resume from 26 May 2026, officials said.
The overnight passenger rail journey between the Azerbaijani and Georgian capitals was put on pause in 2020 du to COVID-19 border restrictions. Prior to that, the service was popular and considered “one of the most convenient and affordable ways to travel” between the two cities, reports ANewz.
The service will reportedly be operated aboard new Stadler rolling stock by ADY / Azerbaijan Railways. The initial schedule slates daily departures from Baku at 11:10 pm, with stops at Bilajari, Yevlakh, Ganja, Aghstafa and Boyuk Kasik in Azerbaijan, as well as Gardabani and Tbilisi stations in Georgia, arriving in Tbilisi the following morning at 8:41 am. Departures from Tbilisi are scheduled at 9:00 pm with arrival in Baku at 6:24 am.
Improving connectivity and travel links is a major priority for Azerbaijan as it seeks to pivot away from big oil and diversify its economy through tourism. Figures from the State Statistical Committee show a swelling non-oil sector, though fossil fuels still represent a chunk of GDP.
The link is likely to provide a boost to Georgian economy and visitor numbers too, since Georgian destinations continue to rely on Azerbaijan as one of their key tourist source markets.
Uptake for the train is expected to be high among those rail enthusiasts seeking short breaks, students and those on a budget, and those looking to undertake multi-itinerary travel across the South Caucasus region. “A sleeper train through the Caucasus is exactly the kind of seamless regional connectivity that turns corridors into destinations,” said Florian Sengstschmid, CEO of Azerbaijan Tourism Board.
While much of the landscape will be in darkness during the trip, passengers can expect to witness places such as the Absheron Peninsula approaching Baku, where greenery cedes to semi-desert landscapes, sculptural oil derricks, and industrial complexes as they approach the outskirts of Baku.
While tickets are already on sale, at the time of writing, according to the Azerbaijan Railways website, tickets to travel in either direction are currently only available to Azerbaijani citizens, and citizens of countries that are eligible for visa-free entry to Azerbaijan.
The announcement was made by the Georgian government during an official state visit to Azerbaijan led by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. It came alongside the signing of a historic bilateral protocol to fully implement the newly upgraded Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway section, ratified by Georgia’s Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Mariam Kvrivishvili, and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Digital Development and Transport, Rashad Nabiyev.
However, further details on the cross-border train are yet to be confirmed. Schedules have not yet been finalised and some commentators have raised questions about how quickly border procedures and travel visa requirements can be addressed or streamlined, and how reliable the international service will be.
