Passenger

New train: Karaelmas Express

By on • ( 6 Comments )

In April, a new touristic train will start, with some different features.

Karaelmas Express, the train service between Ankara and Zonguldak, which was suspended 10 years ago due to engineering works on route, will now restart as touristic train.

TCDD Tasimacilik, which has been opening new services mainly on high speed train or touristic routes, is now getting prepared to restart Karaelmas Express on Ankara-Zonguldak route as touristic train. This train targets only the travelers who’d like to see attraction points on route. Touristic Karaelmas Express will stop 2-3 hours at some stations on way which will give opportunity to travelers having city tours.

4 departures in spring

Unlike other touristic trains of TCDDT, travelers using Touristic Karaelmas Express will stay in hotel at Karabuk. Karaelmas Express will depart 4 times in this spring. Timetable is as follows:

Ankara Zonguldak train timetable

Touristic Karaelmas Express will depart from Ankara on 12th April, 17th, 24th and 31st of May, will stop at Kalecik for 2 hours and at Cankiri for 3 hours. Travelers will stay at hotel at Karabuk and will arrive at Zonguldak by noon.

Zonguldak-Ankara train timetable

On opposite direction, Karaelmas Express will depart from Zonguldak on 13th April, 18th and 25th May and 1st June. Train will stop at Yenice for 2.5 hours, at Karabuk during night, at Eskipazar and Cerkes for 1.5 hours. It’ll arrive at Ankara at night.

Many attraction points on route

On Ankara-Zonguldak direction, travelers will have chance to see vineyards and castle at Kalecik, salt cave and museum at Cankiri, Mining Museum and Gokgol Cave at Zonguldak.

On opposite direction, Blacksmith Bazaar at Yenice, Safranbolu houses at Karabuk, Hadrianapolis Ancient City at Eskipazar and old houses at Cerkes can be visited.

Standard coaches and couchettes were seen in promotion train run yesterday. According to some agencies selling tickets for first train in April, compartments for 1-2 person will also be available, which creates an impression that sleepers will also be used. However, travelers will sleep at hotel during night and travel time between long stops are quite short. Thus berths are not expected to be used during travel.

Tickets for Touristic Karaelmas Express are not available yet in TCDDT’s online system. It’s still not clear if all tickets will be sold via agencies or not.

Cover photo: TÜRSAB ©

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6 replies »

  1. That sounds like an interesting option for a three day break from Ankara. Thanks for this update Onur.

    • What is certainly notable is the Ankara – Zonguldak is clearly timed so the passenger can see the whole journey in daylight.

  2. I believe the last through passenger train from Ankara to Zonguldak was in 2009.This ran three times a week overnight in each direction. On our visit in October 2008 we aimed to travel on this from Ankara ,but the connection from Istanbul was a hour late, and being TCDD the connection was not held, and we missed the train by five minutes. On our following visit in April 2010,it had been withdrawn, because the rail route is highly circuitous, and passengers can make the journey by coach in under half the time.

    • Hi Alan. You may have right. I couldn’t find any info about the exact withdrawn date, thus relied on a speech done by an officer about this new train. Thank you for correction.

  3. The tickets for Karaelmas Express are still not available in TCDDT’s online system. I want to travel by thet train.

    Does anyone have an idea which travel agency I should look for?

    Thank you!