Georgia’s most beloved little train is about to run again. The Borjomi–Bakuriani railway, known to everyone as the Kukushka (“the Cuckoo”), is expected to restart in December 2026, Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili announced on October 9.
The line has been silent since 2020. The government’s original plan, announced in April, pointed to January 2027, so the comeback may land a few weeks early, just in time for ski season in Bakuriani. According to the minister, rehabilitation is nearly complete, and the new carriages were designed to match Bakuriani’s landscape and historic character rather than look like a modern commuter train.
The Kukushka first ran in January 1902, after four years of construction through tough mountain terrain. It was built to carry visitors from Borjomi, with its famous mineral springs, up to the resort of Bakuriani.
The line is narrow-gauge, just 900 mm wide compared with Georgia’s standard 1,520 mm, which is what gives the train its toy-like charm. Until 1991 it also hauled andesite stone from a nearby mine, but for decades it has been a passenger ride for locals and tourists. A refurbished version launched in 2016 with four carriages of 32 seats each, before service stopped in 2020.
Nobody takes the Kukushka to save time. Before it closed, the trip took about 2.5 hours at an average of around 15 km/h, climbing through forest from Borjomi to Bakuriani, which sits at about 1,700 m.
That slow pace is the whole point. You get long views over the Borjomi gorge, pine forests that turn white in winter, and a crossing of the line’s famous “Eiffel Bridge”. Bakuriani station sits almost in the centre of the village, so you step off the train and you’re already there.
The restoration covers the trains, the track and five stations along the route, so expect a noticeably fresher experience than the last time you rode it.