Turkey takes practical steps to restore rail link with Armenia
Turkey restores Akyaka–Gyumri railway
Turkey has begun restoring the entire railway infrastructure along the Akyaka–Gyumri route, the section connecting it with Armenia. Preliminary estimates suggest the work will take two to three months to complete. Akyaka Mayor Erduger Toptas told this to a group of Armenian journalists visiting Turkey.
According to Toptas, the construction work now under way in Turkey signals preparations for reopening the Armenian-Turkish border. He said reopening the border would give Turkey another route to the Caucasus. It would also allow Armenia to establish transport links with Middle Eastern countries through Turkey.
Kadir Bozan, chairman of the Kars Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also told the Armenian journalists that freight traffic on the Akhalkalaki–Kars railway has increased by 400% in recent months. He did not specify whether Armenia uses the route for exports or imports.
However, on 24 May, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that “the Akhalkalaki–Kars railway is now open for exports from Armenia and imports into Armenia.” He described the development as extremely important for the country’s economy.
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Armenian journalists’ impressions from their visit to Turkey
According to official information, a group of Armenian journalists travelled to Turkey as part of a journalist exchange programme. The purpose of the visit was to observe progress on the work to reopen the railway on the Turkish side.
The journalists also wanted to see how Turkey’s railway infrastructure operates more broadly. In particular, they travelled by train from Kars to Akyaka. The 57-kilometre journey took just 50 minutes.
After returning, they wrote that Akyaka station lies only 18–20 kilometres from the Armenian city of Gyumri. That means the journey would take just 30–40 minutes. However, the closed border currently makes it impossible to travel from Akyaka to Gyumri.
Tender announced for Akyaka–Gyumri highway
Akyaka Mayor Erduger Toptas said Turkey plans to restore not only the railway but also the highway.
“The tender for the construction of the road from Akyaka to Gyumri has already been announced. We now expect work on that project to begin as well,” he said.
According to Toptas, these developments indicate that both governments are moving towards establishing good-neighbourly and friendly relations.
The mayor said reopening the Armenian-Turkish border and expanding bilateral economic cooperation would benefit both countries. He believes the two sides have opportunities to cooperate in both agriculture and industry.
The Armenian journalists also spoke with residents of Turkish settlements near the Armenian border. Most said they hope the border will reopen as soon as possible. They also believe it will create new economic opportunities for local communities on both sides of the border.
“We do not expect any obstacles to reopening the border”
Akyaka Mayor Erduger Toptas expressed optimism about the prospects for normalising relations between Armenia and Turkey. In his view, once Armenia and Azerbaijan normalise their relations, reopening the Armenian-Turkish border should not present any difficulties.
He said that, on the instructions of the Turkish president and under the coordination of the transport ministry, officials have begun preparatory work at the border crossing points ahead of the border’s reopening. Railway infrastructure also requires restoration. However, he said the closed border remains the main obstacle to resuming rail services.
At the beginning of 2026, Armenian media reported that the Armenian-Turkish border would open on 1 February to third-country nationals and holders of diplomatic passports. Armenia’s and Turkey’s special envoys for normalisation, Ruben Rubinyan and Serdar Kilic, reached that agreement in July 2022. The Margara border crossing on the Armenian side has stood ready to receive travellers since December 2023. Despite those agreements, however, Turkey has kept the border closed.
Even so, the two countries periodically announce positive steps. For example, from 1 January 2026, Armenia and Turkey simplified visa procedures for holders of diplomatic, special and service passports. They can now obtain a free electronic visa (e-visa) for short-term trips of up to 20 days.
Background
Since 2008, Armenia’s railway network has operated under a concession held by the South Caucasus Railway company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Russian Railways. The concession agreement runs for 30 years, with an option to extend it by another 10 years if both sides agree.
Armenian experts say freight traffic on the country’s railways has halved since 2008. Some routes have ceased operating, while the mandatory investment commitments have never materialised.
Despite this, Yerevan asked Moscow to restore the Gyumri–Akhurik and Yerask railway sections.
Rebuilding these lines would reconnect Armenia with the borders of Azerbaijan and Turkey. This is strategically important for Yerevan, which seeks to fully unblock regional transport links.
Russia has neither acted on Armenia’s request nor indicated a willingness to do so. At the same time, Moscow has said it does not intend to give up its railway concession.
Meanwhile, the Armenian government is considering revoking Russia’s concession and taking control of the railway network itself. It has also left open the possibility of transferring the concession to a third party.
At the beginning of July, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that Armenia had begun preparatory work to restore the Gyumri–Akhurik and Yerask railway sections.
“We will carry out this work ourselves. As for the remaining sections, we will continue working-level discussions, including with our Russian partners,” he said.
Turkey restores Akyaka–Gyumri railway
