BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 6. The Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) JSC served approximately 8.5 million passengers in 2024, Trend reports via the JSC statement.
For the second consecutive year, ADY maintained record figures for the number of passengers served. In 2023, over seven million passengers were served. The main reasons for this increase in 2024 were the launch of new trains, the opening of new stations, and the increase in the number of additional services on holidays and weekends.
Modern and comfortable trains produced by the Swiss Stadler Rail Group were commissioned in 2024 on the Baku-Aghstafa-Baku route. To further expand passenger transportation and ensure customer satisfaction, speed trains were for the first time equipped with stops at the Laki and Ujar stations. Additionally, in line with ADY's passenger transport strategy, the number of services on the Baku-Aghstafa-Baku route was increased from two to four with the introduction of new trains.
Last year, ADY completed all preparations to restore passenger services on the Baku-Balakan-Baku route, with repair work carried out on the railway infrastructure on the Yevlakh-Balakan section. Regular train services on the Baku-Balaken-Baku route were launched on January 3, 2025.
The number of users of ADY's mobile app, ADY Mobile, which was launched in 2023, increased, and last year, the number of downloads surpassed 172,000. The loyalty program, launched in September 2024, provided passengers traveling on suburban trains with more accessible and convenient travel options through the ADY Mobile app. Additionally, since November 1, 2024, dynamic pricing was introduced on intercity routes. Passengers who purchased tickets 30-25 days before travel and for return trips could avail themselves of a 15 percent discount.
Several innovations were also introduced for convenient travel on the Baku Circular Railway. To ensure passenger comfort on this route, the number of turnstiles at the Baku Railway Station and at the Koroghlu stop was increased, and passenger transitions to platforms were expedited. At Baku Railway Station, where the number of turnstiles was increased from 28 to 36, the maximum capacity per minute increased from 750 to 1,000 people, and at the Koroghlu stop, where the number of turnstiles was increased from four to 10, the capacity increased from 108 to 270 people.
All these steps contributed to high passenger flow growth. The number of passengers transported by rail within the country was 2.8 million in 2021, 5.2 million in 2022, 7.1 million in 2023, and around 8.5 million in 2024. Thus, similar to 2023, the plan was exceeded, and for the first time in a year, more than eight million passengers were transported. In 2024, the number of passengers on weekdays rose to 37,000, compared to 30,000 in 2023.
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