A Luxury Train Ride Through Azerbaijan
Visiting Azerbaijan for work and finding myself with a free weekend, rather than stay in the capital city, Baku, I decided to take an overnight trip into the country’s mountainous heartland. For those not so au fait with the topography of the Land of Fire, Azerbaijan is home to diverse landscapes, including the snow-capped peaks at the eastern end of the Caucasus Mountains, rolling green meadows and dusty flatlands. Initially, I had planned a trip to the picturesque, remote mountain village of Xınalıq. However, this required a long car ride from Baku and was not particularly ideal given the limited amount of time that I had available. Furthermore, once in Azerbaijan, I discovered that a flood had wiped out a bridge that must be crossed to reach this village, making this almost totally inaccessible. I therefore turned to other options and examined places that I would be able to reach on Azerbaijan’s railway network.
In the days of the Soviet Union, railways played a vital role in connectivity, enabling people and freight to traverse vast expanses of land from the Baltic States in the west to the border with China and North Korea in the east. Indeed, Azerbaijan was no exception, with around 3,000 kilometres of railway constructed during this era, much of it intended to support the still-booming natural resource sector. However, well over thirty years after independence, this infrastructure continues to be focused on industry rather than passenger usage, with there being just four mainline passenger routes across the country. However, unlike in some former Soviet states, this has undergone significant modernisation, and those expecting to ride on rickety old rolling stock will be disappointed, with intercity services operated by the Stadler ESh2 Eurasia double-decker electrical multiple unit – the German manufacturer’s attempt to enter the former Soviet market, and trains are currently in service in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Russia.
After studying Azerbaijan Railways’ route network, schedules and tourist sites across the country, I decided to embark on a weekend in the small city of Qabala. Home to around 12,000 residents, Qabala is famous for its mountainous scenery, offering good hikes in the spring, summer and autumn, and winter sports opportunities during the colder months. Travelling in October, I hoped that a weekend in Qabala would offer me a picturesque couple of days on the fringes of the Caucasus Mountains.
Within Azerbaijan, state-owned railway company Azerbaijan Railways, more commonly known as ADY (Azərbaycan Dəmir Yolları), maintains a monopoly on all railway services, and so once I had decided on a route, I opened up the company’s app and began to search for trains. Unfortunately, the route between Baku and Qabala is not particularly well-served, and schedules appear to cater for weekend trippers from Baku, with just one train per week running in each direction! This consists of a train from Baku that departs the capital at 0730 on a Saturday morning, whilst the return service departs Qabala at 1900 on Sunday evening. This takes three hours and twenty minutes in both directions to make this trip.
As with all intercity services in Azerbaijan, passengers can choose from one of three classes – Standard, Business and First. At the time of my trip, these were priced at 14, 30 and 93 manat respectively (£6.60/£14.14/£43.83). Given the distance and more used to the often extortionate prices of Britain’s railway network, these seemed to offer a fair deal. Looking to get the full Azerbaijan Railways experience, I decided to splurge out and travel to Qabala in the luxurious surrounds of First Class and return in Standard Class. Having read varying reviews of ADY’s app, I was delighted to find booking tickets through this to be a seamless experience, with the booking engine available in English and enabling passengers to book with a foreign card. Furthermore, I was able to select my seats in both classes. After I had parted with a total of 107 Manat (£50.42) for my return trip, I received my e-tickets via email and was all set to head off on my Azerbaijani adventure.
The Journey
Waking up bright and early, my first task involved packing everything that I would need for my weekend adventure into my rucksack before heading out onto the early morning streets of Baku. Aware that my ticket included access to some sort of lounge at Baku Railway Station, I decided to leave a little earlier than required. At that time, a refreshing breeze was blowing in from the Caspian Sea, and the temperature however around a pleasant 15 degrees. Staying near the eastern end of Baku’s shoreline, given the weather, I decided to make the 1.1-kilometre journey to Baku Railway Station on foot. Once away from the glitz and glamour of the seafront, I headed across large boulevards and a few pothole-laden pavements before I arrived at the station around twenty minutes or so later. First opening in 1880, the station features a grand old station and a much newer hub, which welcomed its first passengers in 2017, and is today the busiest station on the Azerbaijan Railways network.
Like many stations across the world, plenty of eateries and shops are offered in and around the station, including several street vendors selling bread, fruit, nuts and sweets, for those looking to take something onboard with them. Having faith in ADY’s catering, I made my way into the station without stopping by any vendors, and once inside, I found this to be well-polished, modern and very clean. However, at that time, this was eerily empty, and I spotted nothing more than about twenty tough-looking security guards and police officers in quasi-military attire and a Japanese family, who, I assumed, were like me, heading off into the mountains. Unfortunately, official advice cautions against taking photographs of strategic sites within Azerbaijan, including stations, and given the presence of the guards, I opted against taking too many photos and instead followed signs for departures.
One advantage of my First Class ticket was that it would grant me access to the VIP lounge before departure, and whilst I did not have heaps of time, I decided to make the most of this. Hidden away at the side of the station near the platforms, I opened up a large wooden door and was immediately greeted by two smartly dressed hosts who sprang into action as if they had been expecting me. Initially welcomed in Russian, the two staff members soon switched to English and requested to see my passport and ticket, taking the former away and requesting that I take a seat on one of the large and well-padded sofas.
Casting my eyes around the room, this was incredibly ornately decorated, far more so than any other station or airport lounge that I have ever visited. This was complete with intricate traditional patterns, whilst a chandelier hung down from the ceiling. As can be seen at public buildings across Azerbaijan, large portraits of the current and former presidents, Ilham Aliyev and Heydar Aliyev, could be seen hanging on the walls.
Upon taking a seat and sinking into the well-padded sofa, two plates of fruit and nuts were brought out and placed on the table, and I was offered a hot drink. Opting for a cappuccino, this was brought out alongside some traditional Azerbaijani sweets and a dish containing miniature chocolate bars. Being the only passenger in the VIP lounge, I have to say that this was a slightly surreal and eerie experience, and I have to say that it did feel as if I were being watched. Nevertheless, I tried to relax as I sipped my coffee, and around fifteen minutes later, a cheery-looking porter appeared, at which point my passport was returned and I was taken out to the platform where a modern Stadler train could be seen being readied for its trip to the mountains.
Onboard, the train’s First Class section is located on the top deck at the very front of the four-carriage train (when leaving Baku), and so after walking the length of the train, the porter bid me farewell in Russian, and I was handed into the custody of one of the attendants who checked my ticket before escorting me upstairs to my seat. The train’s First Class section consists of nine seats arranged in a 2-1 configuration, each of which is a comfortable leather-covered recliner complete with a reading light. Upon taking my seat, I found it to be spacious, comfortable and clean, with no obvious signs of wear and tear, leaving me with absolutely zero complaints. Once seated, I was handed a package containing a blanket, slippers, and a neck pillow, along with a pouch that contained headphones and an eye mask. Upon settling in, I was handed a bottle of water and asked if I would like tea or coffee, opting for the latter, this was soon brought to me in an ADY-branded cup. That morning, there would be just one other passenger riding with me in First Class, who, judging by the fact they seemed to know all the onboard staff, I assume took the form of an ADY employee.
Right on time, the doors closed with a series of beeps, and at 0730, the Stadler train gently accelerated out of Baku Railway Station. Within a couple of minutes, the impressive waves of the Zaha Hadid-designed Heydar Aliyev Center appeared, heralding our departure from the city centre before a mixture of apartment blocks, low-rise houses, and old nodding donkeys passed by as we made our way through Baku’s northern suburbs. Seeing as Qabala sits to the west of Baku, the fact that we started our journey by heading northwards may surprise some. However, the train takes a somewhat indirect route out of the capital, first heading northwards before trundling southwards along Baku’s western fringes and travelling along the coast before finally turning to journey inland.
As we made our way towards the first station stop, the town of Bilajary, which sits on the northern fringes of Baku, the attendant handed me a tray full of food. This contained the main dish of cold cuts of meat, cheese, grapes, olives and vegetables, bread, a bottle of orange juice, along with butter and jam. Overall, whilst this was not exactly Orient Express levels of haute cuisine, this was most certainly acceptable and a welcome addition to the ride. Furthermore, once I had finished eating, the attendant immediately took my tray away and asked if I would like a top-up of coffee. I am not entirely sure how many foreign visitors take the train in Azerbaijan; however, once the attendant realised that I was not Russian, they communicated to me in near-perfect English.
Following our stop at Bilajary, the train turned south and passed through a dusty and hilly landscape. There, plenty of nodding donkeys could be seen alongside the odd industrial estate and small town. Around forty minutes after leaving Baku Railway Station, the waters of the Caspian Sea came into view, and we skirted along the coastline for about twenty minutes before turning west and heading inland. Soon, the landscape around us temporarily rose up, resulting in some rather picturesque vistas before things flattened once again, with few hills seen until we neared our destination.
As we headed inland, there was little to see outside other than the odd town and village, alongside the occasional long freight train hauled by a mixture of old Soviet era and modern Western locomotives. Inside the cabin, there was no entertainment offered other than the screen at the front of the First Class cabin, which alternated between several advertisements and the list of stops on the way to Qabala, whilst no wifi was provided. Eventually, I decided to make a bathroom visit. Heading downstairs, I found the rest of the train to be rather packed, with plenty of families appearing to be heading for a weekend break in the mountains alongside a fair number of tough-looking security guards. Opening up the toilet, I found this to be clean, modern and stocked with the basics, and from what I could see, there was a cleaning attendant onboard who regularly tended to both this toilet and the others onboard.
Once back in my seat, I passed the time by taking a short nap. By the time I woke up, the landscape outside had turned a little greener, with plenty of farms visible as we began to head north toward the mountains. Eventually, the train could be felt decelerating as it neared its penultimate station stop, Agdash. Home to around 25,000 residents, this small city is the capital of Agdash District and is known for its agriculture. As we rattled into the station, our train seemed to be greeted by crowds of families, most of whom appeared to be waiting to meet friends and relatives from the inbound train, with few passengers boarding.
Upon leaving Agdash, it wasn’t long before the Caucasus Mountains could be seen rising up from the flat rural landscape, and we soon seemed to slow down as we wound our way through the rocky hills that separate Qabala from Agdash. Eventually, we seemed to reach a plain, and I caught sight of the control tower of Qabala Airport. Having opened in 2011, this was intended to boost tourism to the region, with this once being served by Air Arabia and FlyDubai, who flew to Qabala for a single summer season each before withdrawing, sadly leaving the airport without scheduled service.
With our journey nearing its end, I packed up my things, and before I knew it, the train slowly pulled into the single platform of Qabala Railway Station, where an army of guards and railway staff could be seen ready to meet the train. Following the crowds, once I had disembarked, I headed down the platform and through the small but clean and well-polished terminal. Whilst I could have visited the station’s VIP Lounge, eager to explore, I instead headed out into the chaotic car park where drivers could be seen vying for custom. Unfortunately, with Qabala Railway Station sitting about 20 kilometres south of the city, I had little choice but to splash some cash to reach my final destination. Not wanting to get too ripped off, I played things safe and headed for the nearest old and battered Ford Marshrutka, paying the driver next to nothing for a packed ride into Qabala.
Summary
Overall, I found taking the train in Azerbaijan to be an easy and reliable means of travelling through the country. Travelling on the most expensive ticket, I had high expectations from Azerbaijan Railways, and I was most certainly not disappointed, with everything about my experience being top-notch. I should also mention that whilst my return in Standard Class was far less regal, this experience was fine (other than a ten-minute delay), and the seat was comfortable, clean and in good condition.
