Baku Metro
Baku Metro is the rapid-transit system serving Azerbaijan's capital, combining a Soviet-era underground network with distinctive Azerbaijani architectural and cultural decoration.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Baku Metro is the only metro system in Azerbaijan and the principal underground rapid-transit network of Baku. The system began passenger service on 6 November 1967, when Azerbaijan was part of the Soviet Union, becoming the fifth metro constructed in the USSR and one of the earliest metro systems in the wider region. Its development reflected Baku's transformation into a major industrial and administrative center after the city's population exceeded the threshold traditionally required under Soviet planning rules for a metro project. The network was designed around Baku's unusual geography rather than the more regular triangular patterns used in several other Soviet cities. Its routes connect residential districts, industrial areas, the historic center, the main railway station and major transport corridors. The system currently comprises approximately 40.7 kilometres of double-track railway, three named lines and 27 stations, although operating patterns have historically included branches and shuttle services that make the practical service structure more complex than the line count suggests. In 2024, the metro carried approximately 229.6 million passenger journeys, equivalent to an average daily ridership of about 627,279. Baku Metro is notable not only for its transport function but also for its station architecture. Several central stations are deeply constructed because of the city's terrain and Cold War-era civil-defense requirements. Many stations contain mosaics, sculpture, reliefs and architectural elements that combine Soviet modernism with Azerbaijani national motifs, historical references and cultural symbolism. Following Azerbaijan's independence, some station names and decorative elements were changed to reflect the country's post-Soviet identity. The first expansion phase opened stations progressively along the original route, including Ulduz in 1970, Neftchilar in 1972, Ahmadli in 1989 and Hazi Aslanov in 2002. A branch to Bakmil opened in 1970. The second major corridor developed toward the Caspian-facing industrial districts and western and northwestern parts of Baku. Construction was disrupted after the dissolution of the Soviet Union by political instability, the First Nagorno-Karabakh War and severe economic difficulties. Work later resumed, including completion and modernization projects supported in part by international financing and foreign contractors. The operating company was reorganized in 2014. Under a presidential decree dated 27 February 2014, Baku Metro Closed Joint-Stock Company became the legal successor to the earlier Baku Metro organization and Azertunelmetrotikinti Joint Stock Company, assuming their property, rights and obligations. The company combines passenger operations with maintenance, construction, depot, signaling, communications, electrical, rolling-stock and capital-development functions. Modernization has focused on replacing aging Soviet-derived rolling stock, improving signaling and communications, expanding accessibility and preparing new lines and stations. The fleet has included refurbished 81-717/714 trains and newer Metrowagonmash 81-760B/761B/763B and 81-765.B/766.B trains. Baku Metro has also explored new signaling technologies, including communications-based train control, and has considered a broader supplier base for future fleet procurement. Long-term plans have proposed a substantially larger network, with additional lines, depots and stations serving growing districts and major transport nodes including the airport corridor. Baku Metro's public role is therefore both operational and developmental: it is a national infrastructure institution, a major urban-service brand and one of the most visible elements of Baku's public transport system.
History
Plans for a rapid-transit system in Baku emerged during the 1930s, when the city was the capital of the Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic and one of the principal industrial centers of Soviet Transcaucasia. Oil production had helped turn Baku into a large and increasingly crowded metropolis. After the Second World War, the city's population exceeded one million, strengthening the case for a metro under Soviet urban-planning rules. The Soviet Council of Ministers authorized construction in 1947, and physical work began in 1951. The first section opened on 6 November 1967. The inauguration included approximately 6.5 kilometres of track and a depot, and marked Baku's entry into the group of Soviet cities with underground railways. The initial system was developed in stages. Ulduz opened in 1970, followed by a branch to Bakmil in the same year and Neftchilar in 1972. A second corridor was progressively built toward the industrial districts and the western and northwestern parts of the city. The Hazi Aslanov extension was completed in 2002, closing an important early gap in the first route. Baku's network did not follow the standard triangular configuration used by several Soviet metro systems. Its routes were shaped by the city's terrain and settlement pattern, with elliptical corridors crossing near the central railway station. The second line initially shared the May 28 interchange area with the first line. A branch toward Khatai opened in 1968, while further westward construction toward Nizami and Memar Ajemi followed later. As the second corridor grew, the need for a more capable transfer arrangement became clear. The first stage of the Jafar Jabbarli transfer facility entered operation in 1993. The collapse of the Soviet Union brought a period of severe disruption. Political instability, the First Nagorno-Karabakh War and economic collapse curtailed construction and delayed planned extensions. Baku Metro also suffered three major mass-casualty incidents in the 1990s. Bomb attacks in March and July 1994 killed 27 people and injured 91. On 28 October 1995, a fire on a crowded train between Ulduz and Nariman Narimanov killed 289 people and injured 265, making it the deadliest known subway disaster. The fire was attributed to an electrical failure, although sabotage was not definitively ruled out. Construction and modernization resumed in the late 1990s and 2000s. The Hazi Aslanov station project received partial support from the European Union. Work on the northern part of the second line, which had been halted in the early 1990s, restarted, and Nasimi station opened in October 2008. Further projects introduced new stations, depots and connections intended to support Baku's growing population and its broader public-transport system. The operator was legally reorganized in 2014. Presidential Decree No. 289, dated 27 February 2014, created Baku Metro Closed Joint-Stock Company as the successor to the former Baku Metro organization and Azertunelmetrotikinti Joint Stock Company. The new entity inherited their assets, rights and obligations and consolidated metro operation, construction and supporting technical functions. Rolling-stock modernization has been gradual. Older Soviet-designed trains, including 81-717/714 variants, have been refurbished, while newer Metrowagonmash trains entered service. A trial of an 81-760/761 Oka train in 2013 was discontinued after operational problems, but modified Oka-type trains were later delivered and placed into service in 2015. In 2018, Baku Metro began operating 81-765.B/766.B trains, a B-series adaptation of the Moscow-type design. The modernization program has also contemplated advanced signaling, communications-based train control and the acquisition of as many as 300 new carriages during the 2025–2030 period. The modern system extends roughly 40.7 kilometres and includes 27 stations across three named lines. It carried about 229.6 million passengers in 2024. Long-range plans have envisaged five lines, 77 stations and approximately 119 kilometres of network, with possible future growth beyond that scale. While some proposed stations and extensions remain subject to construction and funding, Baku Metro continues to serve as Azerbaijan's only metro and as a central element of Baku's urban infrastructure.
- 2024
Annual ridership reached 229.6 million
[1]Reported passenger journeys reached approximately 229.6 million.
- 2018
81-765.B/766.B trains entered service
[1]The first new Moscow-type B-series trains began commercial operation on 20 April.
- 2015
Modified Oka trains entered service
[1]Three modified Oka-type trainsets were delivered and began operating on the Red Line.
- 2014
Operator reorganized
[1]Baku Metro Closed Joint-Stock Company was established as the legal successor to the former metro operator and Azertunelmetrotikinti.
- 2008
Nasimi station opened
[1]Construction on the previously delayed northern section resumed and Nasimi station opened on 9 October.
- 2006
Smart-card ticketing introduced
[1]Rechargeable RFID-based fare cards replaced the earlier token-based access system.
- 2002
Hazi Aslanov completed
[1]Hazi Aslanov station opened, completing a major section of the original line.
- 1993
Jafar Jabbarli transfer opened in part
[1]The first stage of the Jafar Jabbarli transfer facility entered service.
- 1972
Neftchilar extension
[1]The network expanded eastward with the opening of Neftchilar station.
- 1970
Ulduz and Bakmil developments
[1]Ulduz station opened and a branch to the Bakmil depot station was introduced.
Products and positioning
A state-owned metropolitan transport operator positioned as Baku's essential mass-transit backbone, with a heritage network distinguished by Soviet engineering, deep stations and Azerbaijani decorative design, while progressively adopting modern trains, signaling and digital fare systems.
Urban rapid transit · 1967
Baku Metro passenger network
The core service is underground and surface metro transportation across Baku. The network is approximately 40.7 kilometres long and has 27 stations on three named lines. It links residential neighborhoods, industrial districts, the historic center, the main railway station and other urban transport connections. Service patterns include line branches and a shuttle arrangement around the Jafar Jabbarli and Khatai stations.
Fare-payment system · 2006
BakuCard metro ticketing
BakuCard is a rechargeable smart-card system used for payment on Baku Metro and BakuBus. It replaced the earlier token-based entry system and supports contactless or card-based access through station turnstiles. The system is part of the wider integration of metro and municipal bus fare collection in Baku.
Metro rolling stock
81-717/714 refurbished trains
These Soviet-designed trainsets form part of the inherited Baku Metro fleet. Refurbishment has included redesigned cab fronts, updated driving instruments, new electrical equipment and refreshed passenger interiors while retaining much of the original layout. The program has extended the useful life of older vehicles during the transition to newer train types.
Metro rolling stock · 2015
81-760B/761B/763B Oka trains
Baku Metro's modified Oka-type trains were developed with revised front ends, updated interiors and modernized electrical equipment. After an earlier trial of an unmodified train was discontinued, three modified five-car trainsets were delivered in 2015 and placed into Red Line service.
Metro rolling stock · 2018
81-765.B/766.B trains
The 81-765.B/766.B is a newer generation of metro train adapted for Baku. The trainsets use motor and head cars without trailer cars to improve traction and are finished in a distinctive purple livery. Commercial service began in 2018, and the type became a major element of the fleet modernization program.
Controversies
1995
1995 Baku Metro fire
A fire on a crowded train between Ulduz and Nariman Narimanov stations killed 289 people and injured 265 on 28 October 1995. The official explanation centered on an electrical malfunction; sabotage was not conclusively excluded. The incident is widely described as the deadliest subway disaster on record.
1994
1994 metro bombings
Two bomb attacks, on 19 March and 3 July 1994, targeted the Baku Metro and killed 27 people while injuring 91. Arrests and convictions followed, although the events remain part of the system's security history.
Brand decisions
2025
Flat-fare increasePrice changeBackground
The metro fare system continued to operate on a single-trip flat-fare basis.
Action taken
The reported fare was raised to 0.60 Azerbaijani manat per trip from 1 October 2025.
Aftermath
Some passengers reportedly criticized the increase, particularly in relation to the age of parts of the network's infrastructure.
2025
2025–2030 fleet and signaling modernization programGeneration changeBackground
Baku Metro is planning to renew aging rolling stock and upgrade operational technology.
Action taken
The development program targets as many as 300 new carriages, advanced signaling including CBTC, and possible procurement from European, Chinese and other suppliers alongside established manufacturers.
Aftermath
The program is intended to improve reliability, capacity and interoperability, but the final procurement and implementation schedule remains subject to funding and project execution.
2018
Introduction of 81-765.B/766.B trainsProduct launchBackground
Baku Metro sought newer, higher-performance trains to supplement and gradually replace inherited Soviet rolling stock.
Action taken
The operator contracted for new trains from Metrowagonmash; the first train began commercial operation on 20 April 2018.
Aftermath
The train type became a continuing component of the fleet modernization effort.
2014
Creation of Baku Metro Closed Joint-Stock CompanyStrategyBackground
The Azerbaijani government consolidated responsibility for metro operation and related construction activities.
Action taken
A presidential decree established Baku Metro CJSC as the legal successor to Baku Metro and Azertunelmetrotikinti, transferring their assets, rights and obligations.
Aftermath
The reorganized company continued to combine transport operations, infrastructure construction, maintenance and long-term development.
2013
Trial of an Oka-type trainOtherBackground
Baku Metro evaluated a new 81-760/761 Oka train as a possible replacement for aging Soviet-era rolling stock.
Action taken
One train entered Red Line service in January 2013, but operational failures during testing led to its return to Moscow later that year. The operator subsequently chose a modified Oka design instead.
Aftermath
Three modified Oka trainsets were delivered in 2015 and entered passenger service.
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