9th of September Express

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9th of September Express

The 9 Eylul Ekspres at Ayvacik Station.JPG

The 9th of September Express at Ayvacık station.
Overview
Service type Intercity rail
Status Discontinued
Locale Western Turkey
First service 8 September 2003 [1]
Last service 20 January 2010
Current operator(s) Turkish State Railways
Route
Start Basmane Terminal, İzmir
Stops 31
End Ankara
Distance travelled 824 km (512 mi)
Average journey time 13 hours, 25 minutes (Eastbound)
13 hours, 6 minutes (Westbound)
Service frequency Daily each way
On-board services
Seating arrangements Coach Seating
Sleeping arrangements Sleeping Car
Catering facilities Dining Car
Baggage facilities At select stations
Technical
Rolling stock TVS2000
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in)
Operating speed 100 km/h (62 mph)
Track owner(s) TCDD

The 9th of September Express (Turkish : 9 Eylül Ekspresi) was an overnight train, operated by the Turkish State Railways, from Basmane Terminal, İzmir to Ankara Central Station, Ankara. The name of the service refers to 9 September 1922, the date on which the Greek occupation of İzmir ended after World War I.

Turkish language Turkic language (possibly Altaic)

Turkish, also referred to as Istanbul Turkish, is the most widely spoken of the Turkic languages, with around ten to fifteen million native speakers in Southeast Europe and sixty to sixty-five million native speakers in Western Asia. Outside Turkey, significant smaller groups of speakers exist in Germany, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Northern Cyprus, Greece, the Caucasus, and other parts of Europe and Central Asia. Cyprus has requested that the European Union add Turkish as an official language, even though Turkey is not a member state.

Turkish State Railways national railway carrier in the Republic of Turkey

The State Railways of the Republic of Turkey, abbreviated as TCDD, is a government-owned national railway company responsible with the ownership and maintenance of railway infrastructure in Turkey, as well as the planning and construction of new lines. TCDD was formed on 4 June 1929 as part of the nationalisation of railways in Turkey.

İzmir Metropolitan municipality in Aegean, Turkey

İzmir is a metropolitan city in the western extremity of Anatolia and the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara. It is the second most metropolitan area on the Aegean Sea after Athens, Greece. In 2017, the city of İzmir had a population of 3,028,323, while İzmir Province had a total population of 4,279,677. İzmir's metropolitan area extends along the outlying waters of the Gulf of İzmir and inland to the north across the Gediz River delta; to the east along an alluvial plain created by several small streams; and to a slightly more rugged terrain in the south.

The journey from İzmir to Ankara took 13 hours and 25 minutes, while the journey from Ankara to İzmir took 13 hours and 6 minutes. [2] The train serviced 6 provincial capitals: İzmir, Manisa, Balıkesir, Kütahya, Eskişehir and Ankara.

Manisa metropolitan municipality in Manisa Province, Aegean Region, Turkey

Manisa is a large city in Turkey's Aegean Region and the administrative seat of Manisa Province.

Balıkesir Metropolitan municipality in Marmara Region, Turkey

Balıkesir is a city and the capital city of Balıkesir Province. Balıkesir is in the Marmara region of Turkey and has a population of 331,788 inhabitants. Between 1341–1922, it was the capital of Karasi.

Kütahya Municipality in Aegean, Turkey

Kütahya is a city in western Turkey with 237,804 inhabitants, lying on the Porsuk river, at 969 metres above sea level. It is the capital of Kütahya Province, inhabited by some 564,294 people. The region of Kütahya has large areas of gentle slopes with agricultural land culminating in high mountain ridges to the north and west. The city's Greek name was Kotyaion, Latinized in Roman times as Cotyaeum.

Along with the Karesi Express and İzmir Blue Train, the 9th of September Express was one of three trains to operate between Ankara and İzmir.

Karesi Express

The Karesi Express(Turkish: Karesi Ekspresi) is an overnight train, operating between Alsancak Terminal, İzmir and Central Station, Ankara. The train is one of two current train services between İzmir and Ankara. The eastbound journey takes about 14 hours and 16 minutes, while the westbound journey takes about 14 hours and 45 minutes. The Karesi Express services 6 provincial capitals: İzmir, Manisa, Balıkesir, Kütahya, Eskişehir and Ankara.

İzmir Blue Train train operating between Izmir and Ankara

The İzmir Blue Train is one of the 3, still operating, "Blue Train" services.

The Karesi Express operated between İzmir and Ankara since 1938. However the Karesi had no sleeping cars. Demand for more services between the two cities had bben rising. So on April 1, 1972, the 9th of September Express made its first journey in about 14 hours. In the 1980s the İzmir Blue Train was added making 3 daily trains between İzmir and Ankara. On January 20, 2010, the 9th of September Express was discontinued, due to low ridership.

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Bandırma railway station

Bandırma railway station is the main railway station in Bandırma, Turkey. It is located within the Port of Bandırma, adjacent to the Bandırma Ferry Terminal. It is the northern terminus of the 6th of September Express and the 7th of September Express, which operate daily to İzmir. Bandırma station is located at the end of a short branch with entry only from the north, requiring trains to back up into the station from the mainline at Bandırma Şehir station.

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Balıkesir railway station

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The Marmara Express was a passenger train operated by the Turkish State Railways between Basmane Terminal in İzmir and Bandırma. At Bandırma, the train offered a connection to İDO ferries to İstanbul, across the Marmara Sea. The Marmara Express was discontinued in 2004 due to the rehabilitation of the Manisa-Bandırma railway. On 21 February 2007, the 6 September Super Express began operating on the same route, however with limited stops.

Aegean Express

The Aegean Express, numbered as B31, is a passenger train operating daily between Alsancak Terminal in İzmir to Balıkesir. The train operates as a local service on the route, calling at more stations than its counterpart, the Karesi Express; which also operates between İzmir and Balıkesir.

Akhisar station is a station in Akhisar, Turkey. TCDD Taşımacılık operates four trains, both from Izmir, that stop at the station: the Izmir Blue Train to Eskişehir, the Karesi Express to Balıkesir as well as the 6th of September Express and the 17th of September Express to Bandırma.

The 6th of September Express is a 368 km (229 mi) long daily passenger train operated by TCDD Taşımacılık. The train runs from Basmane Terminal in İzmir to Soma, Manisa. The train provides local service on between the two destinations and the total scheduled time of a trip is 3 hours and 33 minutes.

Yeniköy railway station is a railway station in the village of Yeniköy, Balıkesir in Turkey. TCDD Taşımacılık operates two daily intercity trains from İzmir to Bandırma, the 6th of September Express and the 17th of September Express.

Susurluk railway station is a railway station in Susurluk, Turkey. Located just north of the town, TCDD Taşımacılık operates two daily trains from İzmir to Bandırma: The southbound 6th of September Express and the northbound 17th of September Express. The station was built in 1913, by the Smyrna Cassaba Railway.

Aksakal railway station is a railway station near Ergili, Balıkesir in Turkey. Located about 2 km (1.2 mi) northeast of the villagen, TCDD Taşımacılık operates two daily trains from İzmir to Bandırma: The southbound 6th of September Express and the northbound 17th of September Express.

Uşak Express

The Uşak Express, numbered B37, is a 168 km (104 mi) long regional passenger train operated by the Turkish State Railways, running from Basmane Terminal in İzmir to the town of Uşak. The train operates daily in each direction. Schedulled journey time is 6 hours and 7 minutes.

Sığırcı railway station is a railway station in the Balıkesir Province of Turkey. The station is located along the D.200 state highway, near the villages of Akçapınar (northeast), Doğruca (northwest) and Yenisığırcı (west). TCDD Taşımacılık operates a daily train from Bandırma to İzmir, the southbound 6th of September Express. The 17th of September Express, which operates along the same route, does not stop at Sığırcı.

Kuşcenneti railway station is a railway station in Bandırma, Turkey. The station is located in south Bandırma, near the Bandırma Airport. The station is used mostly as a yard for freight cars serving the nearby Etimaden Bohrium prossesing plant. TCDD Taşımacılık operates two daily intercity trains to İzmir; the northbound 6th of September Express and the southbound 17th of September Express.

References

  1. 9 Eylul Ekspresi
  2. TCDD Raillife magazine 34th edition (October 2008) - Page 76