Black Sea Storm Cuts Off Key Abkhazia Railway Line Indefinitely
A powerful Black Sea storm has forced the closure of a key railway section in Abkhazia. The Tsandrypsh–Sukhum line suffered severe erosion on 19 February, halting train services. Passengers are now being transported by bus while repairs take place.
The affected stretch had already been shut since October 2023 due to earlier landslides and erosion. This latest storm worsened the damage, leaving the track impassable for regular trains.
Several long-distance services have been disrupted. Trains No. 303/304 (Moscow–Sukhum) and the Dioscuria services (Nos. 925/926 and 929/930) now terminate or begin at Tsandrypsh Station instead of Sukhum. Railway workers are on-site assessing the damage and carrying out urgent repairs.
Authorities have not given a precise reopening date but expect services to resume soon. Until then, replacement buses will continue operating between Tsandrypsh and Sukhum.
The closure extends a 16-month disruption caused by earlier weather-related damage. Once repairs are complete, normal train operations will return to the line. For now, passengers must rely on alternative transport to reach their destinations.
