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This answer to the question about Tbilisi to Moscow mentions a train route that is currently not running between Tbilisi and Rostov.

Where did this route cross the Georgia border and what other cities did it pass through on the way?

Is it closed just because of the current political situation between Georgia and Russia or has it been out of service for a long time and now partly removed etc as are some of the tracks that once connected Yerevan in Armenia?

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This train is cancelled because of political crisis between Russia and Georgia (as I think, because the route was on rebel territories, and this was definitely done according to the orders from Russian president).

For now air and automobile connections are started to being reestablished, but not the train.

All you can do - use the train to the Baku (Sorry, only a Russian site) - there is no border problem when using it, and there are trains from Baku to Tbilisi.

Armenia had no borders with Russia, and I don't think you should use trains to Yerevan.

Update: About the old trains. I found this map of USSR rail roads. According to it the only railroad for the route was via Sukhumi, so for now it is closed, and there is not any chance Russia and Georgia will create a new one in the near future. There was a narrow gauge railway between Tskhinvali and Vladikavkaz, and it is closed now too.

Another update: About the rest part of the railroad - yes, you can use it, and for now there is a train between Moscow and Sukhumi (the capital of Abkhazia), which uses exactly the same railroad.

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  • Sorry VMAtm I wasn't looking for an alternative route, I was interested to know where the cancelled route goes. I think it was one of the Turkey to Russia routes that was broken in Armenia but maybe that was a bad example.
    – hippietrail
    Commented Sep 14, 2011 at 10:52
  • @hippietrail As I've said - train is cancelled via russian president order - to cut all the connections between Georgia and Russia. Automobile and air connection are now re-established, but not train.
    – VMAtm
    Commented Sep 14, 2011 at 10:58
  • You don't know where it crossed the border and which cities it passed through?
    – hippietrail
    Commented Sep 14, 2011 at 11:10
  • @hippietrail I don't know the route of this train, but I know for sure that the only rail road there is across Abkhazia. I've updated the answer with link to the USSR raid road map
    – VMAtm
    Commented Sep 14, 2011 at 11:25
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    @hippietrail Added info about train from Abkhazia to Russia
    – VMAtm
    Commented Sep 14, 2011 at 11:33
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You can follow the railroad on OpenStreetMap; it leaves Rostov heading southwest, passes through Krasnodar, then climbs through the Causacus Mountains to reach the Black Sea at Tuapse.

It passes through Sochi to cross the Russian-Georgian (or -Abkhaz) border near the mouth of the Psou River, then continues close to the Black Sea coast, passing through Sukhumi. The closed section is between Ochamchira and Zugdidi; the only major town on the closed section is Gali (in Abkhazia). According to OpenStreetMap Gali still has its railway station, although it is of course disused.

After Zugdidi the railroad passes south of Kutaisi, through Gori and Mtskheta, and enters Tbilisi from the north.

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