Gyumri-Kars railway project moves onto the rails: Türkiye begins restoration of Akyaka-Gyumri section

One of the key items on the agenda of the Armenia-Türkiye normalization process is the reopening of the Gyumri-Kars railway.

Armenia and Türkiye reached an agreement on reopening the railway as early as September 2025, when Serdar Kılıç, Türkiye's Special Representative for the normalization process, visited Armenia.

Following the meeting between Kılıç and Ruben Rubinyan, who was then Armenia's Special Representative for the normalization process, the Armenian Foreign Ministry announced that the special representatives had agreed that the relevant authorities of the two countries would carry out the necessary technical assessments for the restoration and reopening of the Gyumri-Kars railway and the electricity transmission line.

On April 28, 2026, Kars hosted a meeting of the Armenia-Türkiye Joint Working Group on the restoration and reopening of the Gyumri-Kars railway. In the context of expanding regional transport connectivity, the two sides emphasized the importance of reopening the railway as soon as possible.

On May 7, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told reporters that technical assessment work was underway to reopen the Kars-Gyumri railway.

As part of the journalists' exchange program, the group of Armenian journalists visiting Türkiye had the opportunity to see firsthand what work is underway on the Turkish side to prepare the railway for operation.

The Armenian journalists traveled by train from Kars to Akyaka. The journey of about 57 kilometers took around 50 minutes. From Akyaka railway station to Gyumri is just 18 to 20 kilometers by rail, a distance that could be covered in 30 to 40 minutes. However, with the border still closed, it is currently impossible to travel from Akyaka to Gyumri.

Speaking to Armenpress, Ergüder Toptaş, Mayor of Akyaka, said he remains optimistic about the normalization of Armenia-Türkiye relations.

According to Toptaş, once relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan are normalized, they expect there will be no obstacles to opening the Armenia-Türkiye border.

He said that, under the instructions of the President of Türkiye and coordinated by the Ministry of Transport, work has already begun to prepare the border crossing points and railway infrastructure for the opening of the border.

Apart from the closed border, which currently remains the main obstacle to reopening the railway, the infrastructure itself also requires rehabilitation. The mayor explained that construction is already underway to restore the railway infrastructure along the Akyaka-Gyumri section, adding that the work is expected to be completed within two to three months. Restoration work is in progress, and public tenders have already been announced for the construction.

"Construction has already begun, and the work is underway," the mayor said, once again stressing that the ongoing construction is part of the preparations for opening the Armenia-Türkiye border.

But that is not all. A tender has also been announced for the construction of the road linking Akyaka and Gyumri.

"The tender for the road from Akyaka to Gyumri has already been announced, and we expect work there to begin as well. This is part of our governments' policy aimed at promoting good-neighborly and friendly relations," Ergüder Toptaş said.

The mayor believes that both countries stand to benefit economically from the opening of the Armenia-Türkiye border. According to him, there is broad potential for cooperation in agriculture and industry.

"When our President and Armenia's leader make the right decisions regarding state policy, we are convinced that this region will benefit. I firmly believe that both Armenia and Türkiye will greatly benefit from the opening of the border and from the economic cooperation that will follow. Once the border is opened, Türkiye will gain another route to the Caucasus, while Armenia will have the opportunity to connect to the Middle East through Türkiye," Toptaş stressed.

It was also important to hear the views of residents of the Turkish communities bordering Armenia on the possible opening of the border and what they expect from it. Armenpress therefore also spoke with a group of residents of Akyaka. Most of them expressed hope that the border would reopen as soon as possible, saying it would create new economic opportunities, particularly for the Turkish communities located along the Armenian border.