Turkish Railways (TCDD) has initiated tests on Istanbul – Eskişehir section, part of Istanbul – Ankara high-speed railway, currently in construction. Thus, Turkey will have a high-speed railway between Istanbul, former capital, and Ankara, current capital, both very important centres of economic development. However, the inauguration date of Istanbul – Ankara high-speed railway has not been revealed, although, according to most officials, the railway will be commissioned by the middle of the summer. The high-speed railway between Ankara and Eskişehir has been operational since 2009 and works are currently underway to extend the railway to Istanbul.
At the beginning of 2015, this line will transit Marmaray Tunnel and will reach the European side of Istanbul, even providing the opportunity of opening the high-speed railway network in Turkey to the railway network in Europe.
Turkish Railways (TCDD) will invest almost half the budget allocated for 2014 in projects for high-speed railways. Thus, the amount to be invested this year in transport projects amounts to TRY 5.5 Billion (EUR 1.80 Billion). The Turkish Government will grant TCDD around TRY 3.5 Billion (EUR 1.14 Billion) while the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications will receive around TRY 2 Billion (EUR 655 Million) for investments in the railway sector. Turkish Minister of Transport Lutfi Elvan announced in April that the country would develop its own high-speed network completed in 2018. At present, there are high-speed railway lines between Ankara – Konya and Ankara – Sivas and Ankara – Eskişehir (mentioned above).
Moreover, studies and analyses are carried out on the high-speed railway projects of Ankara – Izmir (594 km), Bursa – Osmaneli (106 km), Istanbul – Edirne (230 km), Ankara – Samsun, Eskişehir – Antalya, Konya – Antalya, Diyarbakır – Trabzon and Ankara (Yerköy) – Kayseri (150 km).
According to the declarations of the former Minister of Transport, Binali Yıldırım, 2.500 km of high-speed railways would be built over the next five years. The 2.500 km of railways will connect 14 cities in Turkey.
The railway transport liberalisation law was adopted last year in May permitting the private railway sector to involve in railway transport operations, such as investments in the infrastructure owned by the Turkish State. The liberalisation law equally allows public and private entities and companies to build and manage their own railway infrastructure, as well as to manage trains on the national railway network.
“Railway transport projects are very important for the Eurasian space. Turkey has struggled to support railway transport and, starting with 2003, it began to allocate more funds to develop this transport segment. Also, considering the ongoing projects, Turkey prepares to provide an appropriate railway transport between Europe and Central Asia”, added Suleyman Karaman, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Turkish Railways (TCDD).
The importance of railway transport is well-known throughout the region. Over the past ten years, Turkey has struggled to modernise railways and to provide connections to Bulgaria and from there, to the whole Europe. Also, Turkey has committed to consolidate railway connections to Central Asia by developing railway projects with neighbour countries such as Iran, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Moreover, Turkey will invest EUR 50 Billion over the next years to develop the railways, while the projects already initiated amount to around USD 40 Billion. The railway infrastructure, the rolling stock and the technology require investments because railway transport also means the economic development of the country.
USD 30 Billion will be invested in the next ten years in 10,000 km of high-speed railways, while 4,000 km of new conventional railways are expected to be built.
Source: TCDD
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