Two more routes added to touristic train services
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated that the interest in tourist train services is intense and said, “We offer two brand new routes to our travel-loving traveler citizens. Ankara-Diyarbakır-Ankara Touristic Train will be operated between Ankara and Diyarbakır, and Ankara-Tatvan-Ankara Touristic Train will be operated between Ankara and Tatvan.”
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu gave information about tourist train services. Uraloğlu reminded that the fairytale journey of the Touristic Orient Express started this season from the Historical Ankara Station on Monday, December 11, 2023, and said that the 2023-2024 winter season services were completed with the train departing from Kars on March 10.
Minister Uraloğlu pointed out that while expanding high-speed and high-speed railway lines with the investments made in the railway sector in the last 22 years, the quality of the existing conventional lines has also been increased, and that tourism-oriented services have started to be operated on these lines.
Emphasizing that the train is not only a means of transportation, but also a vehicle that offers very important opportunities from the revitalization of tourism to the development of various fields of art, Uraloğlu reminded that the Touristic Eastern Express was put into service for tourism purposes as an alternative to the Eastern Express on the Ankara-Kars route. Uraloğlu gave information about the seasonal services and said, “Touristic Orient Express made a total of 84 train trips, 42 in Ankara-Kars direction and 42 in Kars-Ankara direction. As of the end of the period, 11 thousand 611 passengers traveled on these trips.”
Uraloğlu pointed out that the Touristic Orient Express, which was put into operation for tourism purposes, brings dynamism to the economic, social and cultural life of the region while passengers explore Anatolia in Erzincan, Erzurum, İliç, Divriği and Sivas, where it stops for about three hours each, and thus contributes to the mobilization of the region’s potential.
“TWO NEW ROUTES COMING FOR TRAVELERS”
Emphasizing that they have another good news for travelers who will set out to explore Anatolia by train, Uraloğlu said, “We are offering two brand new routes to our travel-loving traveler citizens. Ankara-Diyarbakır-Ankara Touristic Train will be operated between Ankara and Diyarbakır and Ankara-Tatvan-Ankara Touristic Train will be operated between Ankara and Tatvan. Touristic trains will consist of 9 sleeper wagons and dining wagons that provide travel in the comfort of home.”
Stating that it will be possible to see natural, historical and cultural values at the stops on the way the trains pass, Uraloğlu noted the following:
“Ankara-Diyarbakır-Ankara Touristic Train will depart from the capital city on Friday, April 19 at 15.55 and from Diyarbakır on Sunday, April 21 at 12.00. Ankara-Diyarbakır train will stop in Malatya for 3 hours, Diyarbakır-Ankara train will stop in Yolçatı for 4 hours and Kayseri for 3 hours for tourism purposes. Ankara-Tatvan-Ankara Touristic Train will depart from Ankara at 15.55 on Wednesday, April 17 and from Tatvan at 06.35 on Friday, April 19. Ankara-Tatvan train will stop in Elazığ for 4 hours, Tatvan-Ankara train will stop in Palu for 3 hours, Elazığ for 4 hours and Kayseri for 3 hours for tourism purposes. Our trains will provide reciprocal service on certain days until June and will stop at certain centers. Ticket sales for these trains started this week.”
