New train on Turkey's Eastern Express to accommodate tourism surge

A new train will be put into service solely for the purpose of tourism after the Eastern Express became so popular that people trying to reach eastern Turkey by train can no longer find tickets, the culture and tourism minister said Monday.

The Eastern Express travels from the capital Ankara to eastern Kars province and became extremely popular after people started sharing photos of the scenery on social media.

Noting that it is almost impossible to find tickets for the Eastern Express, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said that they will put into service a new train for tourism purposes.

The minister boarded the Eastern Express in Erzurum and headed to Kars as he told reporters that the train reveals eastern Turkey's tourism potential.

He noted that talks are being held with the Minister of Transport Cahit Turhan to organize an alternative train service on the same route, which will enable more people to travel to the east and enjoy the beauties of the region.

Highlighting that the main purpose of the Eastern Express was to provide safe and delay-free transportation services in Turkey's snow-covered east, Ersoy said that the train could easily make the region an international tourism destination.