Passengers in Yerevan-Gyumri-Yerevan Trains Forced to Stand

The newspaper 'Haykakan Zhamanak' has received alarming reports from passengers of the Yerevan-Gyumri-Yerevan train, highlighting that, due to an increase in passenger traffic towards Gyumri recently, people often have to stand 'on one foot' while traveling. It is noteworthy that this journey takes approximately 2 hours and costs passengers 2500 drams.

While children under 7 years travel for free, a train staff member recently asked a woman to hold her 6-7 year-old child in her arms to accommodate other passengers. Consequently, the woman was forced to purchase a ticket for her child.

This situation becomes particularly acute on weekends, as there is a higher number of travelers using the train on these days.

We asked Ruben Grdzelyan, the press secretary of South Caucasus Railways, whether it would be possible to sell tickets corresponding to the available seating or to add additional carriages to the train. In response, Grdzelyan assured that tickets are sold only for existing seats: 'A total of 121 tickets are sold at a price of 2500 drams. If there are facts, it would also be good for us to clarify that,' he added.

A photo provided by concerned citizens shows four people seated on three chairs.

It’s worth mentioning that the influx of visitors to Gyumri began after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s visit to the city at the beginning of August, during which he conducted a tour of Gyumri’s historic center and invited everyone to visit and see the historical heritage for themselves.

Recently, Gyumri’s Mayor Samvel Balasanyan stated in an interview that there has been a notable increase in tourists visiting Gyumri since the Prime Minister's visit and the live broadcast.