Train service between Baku and Tbilisi has resumed after a six-year hiatus.

The first passenger train from Azerbaijan in six years, whose land borders were closed at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, arrived in Tbilisi today.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," a special quarantine regime introduced in connection with the coronavirus pandemic has been in effect in Azerbaijan since 2020. In December 2025, the government extended it until April 1, 2026, explaining that the decision was made "in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in the country and its possible consequences."

This morning, the first passenger train in six years arrived from Baku to Tbilisi. Baku-Tbilisi-Baku train services were suspended at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, and until now, travel from Georgia to Azerbaijan and back was only possible by air, Novosti-Gruzia reports.

The stated minimum ticket price is half the price of an air ticket.

Train tickets currently start at 81 manat (127 lari) if purchased two to three weeks in advance, the publication writes.

JAMnews also reported today that tickets at this price (from 81 manat, equivalent to approximately $48) can be purchased 15-20 days before departure.

Moreover, the minimum cost of an air ticket for the Baku-Tbilisi flight is currently more than twice the cost of a train ticket. According to the Azerbaijan Airlines website, it is 166.39 manat (about $98).

AZH boasted of high demand for tickets to Georgia

The trip from Baku to Tbilisi by train takes about 9 hours and 30 minutes, of which about two hours are allocated for border and customs procedures - one hour at each of the two borders, said Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, Head of the Public Relations Department of Azerbaijan Railways (ARZ).

"The train departs from Baku at 23:10 [22:10 Moscow time], and from Tbilisi - at 21:00 [20:00 Moscow time]. Passenger demand on the route is high, and due to the growing interest, additional carriages have been added to some flights. Of the 8,400 tickets put up for sale, more than "70% have already been sold," Report quotes him as saying today.

According to Hajiyev, trains stop at the stations of Bilajari, Yevlakh, Ganja, and Agstafa in Azerbaijan. "Trains stop at the stations of Gardabani and the Tbilisi Railway Station in Georgia," he said.

The quarantine regime due to COVID-19 remains in effect in Azerbaijan

In March, the Azerbaijani government extended the special quarantine regime, which was in effect until April 1, for another three months - until July 1, 2026. The Cabinet of Ministers once again cited the prevention of the spread of coronavirus infection in the country and its possible consequences as the goal of this decision, Haqqin.az reported on March 16.

Earlier, in September 2024, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that keeping the borders closed was also due to "external risks" to the country's security.

Former member of the Azerbaijani Bar Association Namizad Safarov in 2024 pointed out the lack of legal grounds for the "indefinite extension" of the quarantine regime. "A special quarantine regime is introduced for a specific period when the epidemiological situation is acute. Therefore, the restrictions are unjustified and violate constitutional rights to freedom of movement. The authorities now explain the border closure by citing security interests. But there are special government agencies to ensure security," he told the Caucasian Knot.

Azerbaijan is currently the only country in the world whose land borders have not been opened.

Restrictions on crossing land borders violate people's right to freedom of movement, guaranteed by the Constitution of Azerbaijan, Samad Rahimli, head of the "Defender" Center, also pointed out in December 2024. "There is no rational justification for this. [...] Azerbaijan is currently the only country in the world whose land borders have not been opened since the end of the pandemic. [...] Due to high airfare prices, citizens cannot, for example, visit their relatives in other countries, travel for medical treatment, or engage in cross-border trade," he told the Caucasian Knot.