Georgia
Alexander Roumega / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · cropped
Georgia occupies 69,700 km² on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, at the point where Eastern Europe meets West Asia, and is home to about 3.9 million people. Russia lies to the north across the Greater Caucasus, Turkey and Armenia to the south and Azerbaijan to the south-east. Two mountain ranges enclose it and a broad valley runs between them from the sea to Tbilisi, the capital. The result is a country of extremes packed into a small space — subtropical coast at Batumi, glaciated peaks in Svaneti, and semi-desert in the south-east.
The railway is 1,520 mm broad gauge, built under the Russian Empire to move Caspian oil to Black Sea ports and still the spine of the country's transport. Georgian Railway runs the main line west from Tbilisi towards Batumi and Zugdidi, over the Surami pass that divides the two halves of the country. Away from it, in the mountains above Borjomi, sits something quite different: a 900 mm narrow-gauge line of 1902 with a bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel.
Rail journeys in Georgia
Good to know
What is the Kukushka?
The nickname — "little cuckoo" — of the 900 mm narrow-gauge line from Borjomi to Bakuriani, 37.2 km climbing from 820 m to a ski resort at 1,700 m. Building began in 1897 and the first train ran in January 1902; the Romanovs commissioned Gustave Eiffel to design its bridge over the Tsemistskhali. It was electrified in 1966. It has carried no passengers since the pandemic. In April 2026 the Prime Minister said the rebuilt line would be serving the public again from January 2027; until then the only way between Borjomi and Bakuriani is the road.
Is Georgia in Europe or Asia?
Both, depending where the line is drawn — Georgia sits at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia, and is generally regarded as European. This site files it under Europe for that reason. In practice the distinction matters little to a traveller except that it affects which regional rail products and guidebooks include it.
Is there an Interrail or Eurail pass for Georgia?
No. Interrail sells no one-country pass for Georgia and it is outside the Global Pass area, so tickets are bought directly from Georgian Railway. Fares are low by European standards.
What is the main railway journey across the country?
The east–west main line from Tbilisi to the Black Sea, which has to cross the Surami pass separating eastern from western Georgia. Modern double-deck stock works the run to Batumi, and a branch goes north-west to Zugdidi, which is the rail approach to the mountains of Svaneti.