When people talk about the infrastructure achievements of the 20th century, they rarely mention that the USSR’s first electric train ran in Baku. The city, surrounded by oil fields and the Caspian Sea, was not only an energy centre but also a pioneer of electrified suburban transport.

In short: on July 6, 1926 the first electrified railway section in the USSR started operating on the Baku–Sabunchu line. Today modern suburban trains run through the same area.

Oil and the Railway

At the start of the 20th century Baku was one of the world’s main oil-producing centres. Industrial growth attracted workers, engineers and entrepreneurs, and the city needed reliable transport between the oil districts, factories and the centre.

Azerbaijan’s railway history began on January 20, 1880, when the first line, Baku–Sabunchu–Surakhani, opened. It was about 20 km long and at first carried only oil. In 1883 the Baku–Elizavetpol–Tiflis main line opened, linking the Caspian and Black Seas, and in 1900 the line reached Derbent, connecting Azerbaijan to the Russian Empire’s railway network.

July 6, 1926: The First Electric Train

The Baku–Sabunchu–Surakhani line became the first electrified railway in Azerbaijan and in the USSR. It opened on July 6, 1926, electrified at 1,200 volts DC, with an electrified section of about 19 km. Electric trains carried passengers between industrial suburbs and the city centre.

Baku’s experience showed that electric traction suited suburban service. In 1929 the Moscow–Mytishchi section of about 18 km was electrified (1,500 V). Soviet railways later moved to 3 kV DC, the system on which most of Azerbaijan’s network is electrified today.

What Came Next

Azerbaijan’s railways developed along with the country. During the Second World War they carried oil, freight and evacuees, and in 1955 they became a separate railway within the USSR Ministry of Railways. Part of the network was lost in the 1990s, and in 2009 the company Azerbaijan Railways was created. The Baku–Tbilisi–Kars line opened in 2017, and the Azerbaijan Railway Museum opened in Baku in 2023.

Baku’s Suburban Trains Today

Since 2015 double-deck electric trains from Swiss manufacturer Stadler (KISS) have run between Baku and Sumgayit. The Baku suburban railway started service in 2019, and the Absheron Circular Railway fully opened in 2020. The system now has two lines, about 15 stations and around 91 km of track; roughly 8.5 million passengers used it in 2024. Metro transfers are possible at 28 May and Koroglu (line 1) and Jafar Jabbarly and Darnagul (line 2).

Besides the suburban routes Baku–Sumgayit and the Absheron circle, intercity trains run to Gabala (since 2023) and Agstafa. Check schedules and tickets on the Azerbaijan Railways site (ticket.ady.az): routes are expanding and timetables change.

For History Lovers

If you are interested in transport history, visit the Azerbaijan Railway Museum, which opened in 2023. A ride on the modern circle takes you through the same area where, a century ago, the age of electric traction began.

The story of the first electric train in the USSR is a story of technological breakthrough and Baku’s energetic industrial era. Today modern trains run along the same corridors, so any traveller can ride the historic rails.

Categories: History