Eastern Express
Encyclopedia
The Eastern Express is an overnight passenger train operated by the Turkish State Railways
. The train runs 1944 km (1,207.9 mi) from İstanbul
's Haydarpaşa Terminal
to Kars Railway Station
in Kars
. The train was the first overnight service east of Ankara
. The Eastern Express stops in 11 provincial capitals: İstanbul
, İzmit
, Bilecik
, Eskişehir
, Ankara
, Kırıkkale
, Kayseri
, Sivas, Erzincan
, Erzurum
and Kars
. The train also stops in the Turkish capital: Ankara. The first train ran in 1936 from Haydarpaşa to Çetinkaya.
reached its peak, where 2846.2 km (1,768.6 mi) of lines were completed. Ever since the Turkish State Railways
were formed in 1927, railways extended to eastern Turkey. A main line was to be constructed from Ankara to Erzurum
, where it would connect with the broad gauge
line to the Turkey
/Soviet Union
border built by the Russian Empire
in 1916. Construction of the line started in 1924 (by the CFAB, TCDD took over in 1927) and reached Kayseri
in 1927, Sivas in 1930 and Çetinkaya in 1936. The Eastern Express made its first run with the opening of the line to Çetinkaya. The railway finally reached Erzurum in 1939. In the same year the Eastern Express started operating from Haydarpaşa to Erzurum. By transferring to a broad gauge train in Erzurum, passengers could travel to Kars, the last Turkish city before the Soviet Union
. In 1962, the broad gauge line from Erzurum-Kars-Akkaya was made standard gauge
by the State Railways. The Eastern Express was extended to Kars in 1962.
took over. The consist today is:
, the tracks follow a route right along the Bay of İzmit, with great views of the surrounding area. The train passes through many towns along the way including major industrial facilities until reaching İzmit
. After İzmit the Eastern Express travels through the Sakarya plain. At Arifye, the line heads south through the mountainous route towards Eskişehir. After crossing many gorges and after Bilecik, the train starts to ascend the Anatolian plateau. The train arrives in Ankara
in the morning. There it changes it's electric locomotive to diesel locomotive.
After the break the Eastern Express continues east through Ankara's eastern suburbs. After Kırıkkale
, the train heads south-east towards Kayseri
. At Kayseri the train refuels it self and has a crew change. The Eastern Express then continues east into the dusk. The route then heads north-east until Sivas, where the train has it's third break. After Sivas the tracks travel through very mountainous terrain so the speed is limited. A small portion between Çetinkaya and Divriği is electrified for freight train carrying iron ore down south to the Mediterranean Sea. After Divriği the Eastern Express steadily climbs towards the Armenian Highlands. After a break in Erzurum
, the train arrives at Kars
towards the evening.
Turkish State Railways
The State Railways of the Turkish Republic or TCDD is the government owned, national railway carrier in the Republic of Turkey, headquartered in Ankara...
. The train runs 1944 km (1,207.9 mi) from İstanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
's Haydarpaşa Terminal
Haydarpasa Terminal
The Haydarpaşa Terminal or Haydarpaşa Station is a major intercity rail station and transportation hub in Kadıköy, İstanbul. It is the busiest rail terminal in Turkey and the Middle East and one of the busiest in Eastern Europe. The terminal also has connections to İETT bus and ferry service. The...
to Kars Railway Station
Kars Railway Station
The Kars railway station is a train station, serving the eastern Turkish city of Kars. It is one of the easternmost stations on the Trans-Anatolian railway. The Eastern Express services Kars once a day to İstanbul. Between 1993 and 2011, there was no train service east of Kars due to the...
in Kars
Kars
Kars is a city in northeast Turkey and the capital of Kars Province. The population of the city is 73,826 as of 2010.-Etymology:As Chorzene, the town appears in Roman historiography as part of ancient Armenia...
. The train was the first overnight service east of Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
. The Eastern Express stops in 11 provincial capitals: İstanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, İzmit
Izmit
İzmit is a city in Turkey, administrative center of Kocaeli Province as well as the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality. It is located at the Gulf of İzmit in the Sea of Marmara, about east of Istanbul, on the northwestern part of Anatolia. The city center has a population of 294.875...
, Bilecik
Bilecik
-External links:* http://www.eksisozluk.com/show.asp?t=bilecik%20diye%20bir%20yerin%20asl%C4%B1nda%20olmamas%C4%B1%20 Bilecik Conspiracy* http://www.bilecikaktuel.com* * http://www.voyagerbook.com/eng/iller/11/11.asp*...
, Eskişehir
Eskisehir
Eskişehir is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. According to the 2009 census, the population of the city is 631,905. The city is located on the banks of the Porsuk River, 792 m above sea level, where it overlooks the fertile Phrygian Valley. In the nearby...
, Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
, Kırıkkale
Kirikkale
Kırıkkale is the capital of the Kırıkkale Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. It is located 80 km east of Ankara. According to the 2000 census, the population of the province is 280,834, of which 192,705 live in the city of Kırıkkale...
, Kayseri
Kayseri
Kayseri is a large and industrialized city in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It is the seat of Kayseri Province. The city of Kayseri, as defined by the boundaries of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, is structurally composed of five metropolitan districts, the two core districts of Kocasinan and...
, Sivas, Erzincan
Erzincan
-Trivia:Erzincan has the largest man made of Portrait of Atatürk, located north of the city, 176m×43m. It covers 7,500 square meter. Turkish Army made it 1982, in 29 days by 3,000 soldier, 100 tons of black and white paint was used...
, Erzurum
Erzurum
Erzurum is a city in Turkey. It is the largest city, the capital of Erzurum Province. The city is situated 1757 meters above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 361,235 in the 2000 census. .Erzurum, known as "The Rock" in NATO code, served as NATO's southeastern-most air force post during the...
and Kars
Kars
Kars is a city in northeast Turkey and the capital of Kars Province. The population of the city is 73,826 as of 2010.-Etymology:As Chorzene, the town appears in Roman historiography as part of ancient Armenia...
. The train also stops in the Turkish capital: Ankara. The first train ran in 1936 from Haydarpaşa to Çetinkaya.
History
During the 1930s, railway construction in TurkeyTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
reached its peak, where 2846.2 km (1,768.6 mi) of lines were completed. Ever since the Turkish State Railways
Turkish State Railways
The State Railways of the Turkish Republic or TCDD is the government owned, national railway carrier in the Republic of Turkey, headquartered in Ankara...
were formed in 1927, railways extended to eastern Turkey. A main line was to be constructed from Ankara to Erzurum
Erzurum
Erzurum is a city in Turkey. It is the largest city, the capital of Erzurum Province. The city is situated 1757 meters above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 361,235 in the 2000 census. .Erzurum, known as "The Rock" in NATO code, served as NATO's southeastern-most air force post during the...
, where it would connect with the broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
line to the Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
/Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
border built by the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
in 1916. Construction of the line started in 1924 (by the CFAB, TCDD took over in 1927) and reached Kayseri
Kayseri
Kayseri is a large and industrialized city in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It is the seat of Kayseri Province. The city of Kayseri, as defined by the boundaries of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, is structurally composed of five metropolitan districts, the two core districts of Kocasinan and...
in 1927, Sivas in 1930 and Çetinkaya in 1936. The Eastern Express made its first run with the opening of the line to Çetinkaya. The railway finally reached Erzurum in 1939. In the same year the Eastern Express started operating from Haydarpaşa to Erzurum. By transferring to a broad gauge train in Erzurum, passengers could travel to Kars, the last Turkish city before the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. In 1962, the broad gauge line from Erzurum-Kars-Akkaya was made standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
by the State Railways. The Eastern Express was extended to Kars in 1962.
Consists
The Eastern Express had many consists over the years. The Turkish steam locomotives were the source of power from 1936 to the 1970s when the diesel locomotiveDiesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
took over. The consist today is:
- DE22000TCDD DE22000TCDD DE 22000 are a type of diesel locomotive built for operations on Turkish State Railways by Tülomsaş on license from General Motors Electro-Motive Diesel, based on EMD G26CW-2. A total of 86 locomotives were built between 1985–1989.-External links:* *...
, Baggage Car, Coach, Coach, Coach, Coach, Diner, sleeper, sleeper
Route
The train departs Haydarpaşa Terminal next to the Bosphorus and travels along the south-eastern shores of İstanbul. The journey takes an average 45 minutes to travel out of the extensive suburbs of the metropolis. After GebzeGebze
Gebze is an industrial city in Kocaeli Province, Turkey. Situated 30 miles east of Istanbul on the northern shore of the Sea of Marmara, it is the largest district of Kocaeli; Gebze has experienced rapid growth in recent years- from 159,116 in 1990, to 282,444 in 2009. Gebze accounts for 15% of...
, the tracks follow a route right along the Bay of İzmit, with great views of the surrounding area. The train passes through many towns along the way including major industrial facilities until reaching İzmit
Izmit
İzmit is a city in Turkey, administrative center of Kocaeli Province as well as the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality. It is located at the Gulf of İzmit in the Sea of Marmara, about east of Istanbul, on the northwestern part of Anatolia. The city center has a population of 294.875...
. After İzmit the Eastern Express travels through the Sakarya plain. At Arifye, the line heads south through the mountainous route towards Eskişehir. After crossing many gorges and after Bilecik, the train starts to ascend the Anatolian plateau. The train arrives in Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
in the morning. There it changes it's electric locomotive to diesel locomotive.
After the break the Eastern Express continues east through Ankara's eastern suburbs. After Kırıkkale
Kirikkale
Kırıkkale is the capital of the Kırıkkale Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. It is located 80 km east of Ankara. According to the 2000 census, the population of the province is 280,834, of which 192,705 live in the city of Kırıkkale...
, the train heads south-east towards Kayseri
Kayseri
Kayseri is a large and industrialized city in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It is the seat of Kayseri Province. The city of Kayseri, as defined by the boundaries of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, is structurally composed of five metropolitan districts, the two core districts of Kocasinan and...
. At Kayseri the train refuels it self and has a crew change. The Eastern Express then continues east into the dusk. The route then heads north-east until Sivas, where the train has it's third break. After Sivas the tracks travel through very mountainous terrain so the speed is limited. A small portion between Çetinkaya and Divriği is electrified for freight train carrying iron ore down south to the Mediterranean Sea. After Divriği the Eastern Express steadily climbs towards the Armenian Highlands. After a break in Erzurum
Erzurum
Erzurum is a city in Turkey. It is the largest city, the capital of Erzurum Province. The city is situated 1757 meters above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 361,235 in the 2000 census. .Erzurum, known as "The Rock" in NATO code, served as NATO's southeastern-most air force post during the...
, the train arrives at Kars
Kars
Kars is a city in northeast Turkey and the capital of Kars Province. The population of the city is 73,826 as of 2010.-Etymology:As Chorzene, the town appears in Roman historiography as part of ancient Armenia...
towards the evening.