Gyumri-Kars railway: Turkey has started the reconstruction of its section

What is known

Turkey has started rehabilitation work on its section of the Gyumri-Kars railway, up to the Armenian border.

This was stated by Ruben Rubinyan, the special representative of the Armenian side in the Armenia-Turkey dialogue, who has also been serving as the President of the National Assembly since August 3, 2026.

This refers to the Akyaka-Gyumri section. According to the mayor of Akyaka, construction has started and the work is underway. According to him, they are directly related to the preparations for opening the Armenia-Turkey border.

In addition to the railway, a tender has been announced for the construction of a land road from Akyaka to Gyumri.

According to Toptaş, an official from the Turkish side, under the instruction of the President of Turkey and coordinated by the Ministry of Transport, work has begun to prepare border checkpoints and railway infrastructure for the opening of the border.

How we got here: a chronology

July 2022. Special representatives Ruben Rubinyan and Serdar Kılıç reach an agreement to open the border for citizens of third countries and holders of diplomatic passports. The agreement has not been implemented to date.

December 2023. The Margara checkpoint on the Armenian side is declared ready for operation.

April 28, 2026. A meeting of the joint Armenian-Turkish working group on the rehabilitation and operation of the Gyumri-Kars railway takes place in Kars. The parties emphasize the importance of the early launch of the line.

May 7, 2026. In a briefing with journalists, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announces that technical assessment work is being carried out for the relaunch of the Kars-Gyumri railway.

May 24, 2026. Pashinyan announces that the Akhalkalaki-Kars railway is now open for exports and imports from Armenia, describing it as a major event in the country's economic life.

Summer 2026. Rubinyan announces the start of rehabilitation work on the Turkish section.

What other results have been recorded

Among the results of the process, Rubinyan pointed out:

• The resumption of direct Yerevan-Istanbul flights and the launch of air cargo transportation
• The lifting of the ban on direct trade by the Turkish side, which allows for the import and export of goods without the mediation of Georgia
• The opportunity to use the Akhalkalaki-Kars railway, which opens a path to the European Union and Syrian markets for Armenian business entities

Rubinyan described the latter as one of the most important developments.

Why this line is important

The Gyumri-Kars railway is the shortest direct land cargo route between Armenia and Turkey. It operated until 1993, when Turkey closed the border.

Currently, cargo transportation from Armenia to Turkey and vice versa is carried out through the territory of Georgia, via longer and more expensive routes. Relaunching the line reduces both the distance and the cost.

The Akhalkalaki-Kars direction is of separate significance, as it connects to the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway system and thereby opens access to European markets.

What is still unclear

This part is important because in the news flow it is often lost against the backdrop of optimistic headlines.

1. The opening date has not been announced. Neither side has officially mentioned a specific date, neither for the launch of the railway nor for the opening of the border.

2. The border is closed. Despite the agreements of 2022 and the readiness of Margara, the Armenia-Turkey border remains closed.

3. Connection with the Armenia-Azerbaijan settlement. In the formulations of the Turkish side, the opening of the border is mentioned in the context of the normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations. In other words, the process is not entirely bilateral.

4. Condition of the Armenian section. In the published information, the emphasis is on the work on the Turkish section. Details regarding the scope of rehabilitation of the Armenian section, the source of funding, and the deadlines are limited.

5. Scope of work. The published data are mostly statements by officials. No independent technical assessment of the condition of the line and the required investments has been made public.

Conclusion

At this point, there is only one recordable fact: construction work has started on the Turkish side, and it is officially linked to preparations for opening the border.

This is a significant change compared to previous years, when the process remained at the level of statements. But this is not yet an operating railway, and there is no opening date.

Sources

• Ruben Rubinyan's statements on the Armenia-Turkey dialogue
• Briefings of RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on May 7 and May 24, 2026
• Armenian-Turkish joint working group meeting, Kars, April 28, 2026
• Reports of the Akyaka municipality and the official Turkish side
• Armenpress, Aravot, Factor.am, JAMnews: coverage of the process