Soviet-era ER2 (Electric Multiple Unit, 3-car formation) — built by Rīgas Vagonbūves Rūpnīca (Riga Carriage Works) between 1962 and 1984. A typical 3-car ER2 set consists of two motor cars and one trailer car, with a 4,000 kW total power output per 12-car formation. A single 3-car set produces approximately 1,000 kW.
Locomotive Weight
ER2: approximately 330 tonnes (full 12-car formation); single motor car ~55 t; trailer car ~42 t. The Lake Sevan service typically operates a 3-car set (~140 t tare).
Track Gauge
1,520 mm Russian gauge (5 ft) — standard for the entire South Caucasus Railway network across Armenia. This is one of only two 1,520 mm networks in the Caucasus (the other being Azerbaijan, with through-running not currently possible due to the closed Turkish and partially-restricted Nagorno-Karabakh border).
Braking Technology
Pneumatic (air) brakes with electro-pneumatic integration on modern EP2D sets; traditional air-brake system on legacy ER2 stock. Rheostatic braking on the descent from Shorzha to Yerevan.
Route Engineering Challenges
High-altitude operation at 1,900 m elevation — Lake Sevan is one of the world's highest large freshwater lakes
ER2 trains designed with footboards for low-platform boarding typical of Soviet-era Armenian stations
3 kV DC electrification requires heavy overhead catenary infrastructure through the Hrazdan gorge
Route passes through steep basalt gorge of the Hrazdan River approaching Lake Sevan from the south
Seasonal operation requires maintenance scheduling around winter sub-zero temperatures and snow (service suspended October–June)
Lake Sevan water-level drawdown since Soviet era has reduced lake surface by ~5 m, raising salinity — adjacent track sections have required drainage adjustments
Single-track alignment with passing loops at Noratus, Martuni, and Sevan — capacity limits the daily departures to one round trip
Maximum Speed
100 km/h (ER2) / 120 km/h (EP2D)
Electric System
3 kV DC overhead catenary
Car Length
19.6 m per car (ER2)
Formation
Typically 3 cars (ER2); 2-car EP2D for express services
Air Conditioning
EP2D express trains only; ER2 local trains are naturally ventilated (windows open)
Manufacturer
Rīgas Vagonbūves Rūpnīca (Riga Carriage Works), Latvian SSR — ER2 production 1962–1984
Line Length
111 km (Yerevan Central to Shorzha)
Elevation Gain
900 m (Yerevan 1,000 m → Shorzha 1,900 m)
Journey Time
Approximately 3 hours each way
Operator
South Caucasus Railway (SCR), a 100% subsidiary of Russian Railways (RZD)
Concession
30-year SCR concession awarded February 13, 2008; valid until 2038 with optional extension
Gauge Origin
1,520 mm Russian gauge — inherited from the Tsarist and Soviet railway networks
Cross-border Connections
Through-running to Georgia (1,520 mm) is possible but currently suspended; through-running to Turkey (1,435 mm standard) and Iran (1,435 mm standard) requires gauge break
Quick Facts
Duration
3 hours
Distance
111 km
Est. Price
AMD 1,000–1,500 per person (approx. USD 2.5–4 — ultra-affordable)