Turkish State Railways (TCDD) started building high-speed rail lines in 2003. TCDD has branded its high-speed service as Yüksek Hızlı Tren (YHT) which currently operates on three lines: the Ankara–Istanbul high-speed railway, the Ankara–Konya high-speed railway and the Ankara-Sivas high-speed railway. YHT is the only high-speed rail service in Turkey, with two types of EMU train models operating at speeds of up to 250 km/h (155 mph) (HT65000) [1] or 300 km/h (186 mph) (HT80000). [2] [3]
On 13 March 2009, the first phase of the Ankara–Istanbul high-speed railway entered service between Ankara and Eskişehir. On 25 July 2014, the Ankara-Istanbul high-speed railway services began to reach the Pendik railway station on the Asian side of Istanbul, [4] and on 13 March 2019 the services began to reach the Halkalı railway station on the European side of Istanbul, passing through the Marmaray railway tunnel under the Bosphorus strait. There were initially 6 daily departures in both directions. [5]
On 23 August 2011, the YHT service on the Ankara–Konya high-speed railway was inaugurated and on 26 April 2023 the 405 km long Ankara-Sivas high-speed railway started operations. [6]
High-speed rail in Turkey is still developing, with new lines currently under construction or in the planning phase. By 2023, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure expects Turkey's high-speed rail system to increase to 10,000 kilometres (6,214 mi). [7] [ needs update ]
Prior to the introduction of the high-speed line, the population centres of Istanbul (14 million) and Ankara (5 million) were connected by a 576 km (358 mi) long railway line, of which only 110 km (68 mi) was double-tracked. [8] The whole line was electrified, but low radius turns and poor track quality made high-speed rail transport impossible. Prior to the upgrading of this line in 2006, the railway's market share of Istanbul–Ankara passenger transit was 10%, with a travel time of ~6.5 hours. [8]
The Ankara–Istanbul HST line opened on 25 July 2014, with all trains terminating at Pendik, which is 1 hour by bus from Kadikoy in the eastern suburbs of Istanbul. There are 12 trips per day and the journey takes 3.5 hours. All trains stop at Eskişehir and İzmit.
The high-speed railway connects the county's largest metropolises, Ankara the capital and conurbation of Istanbul via Eskişehir, with a junction at Polatlı to the Ankara-Konya high-speed line. [9]
The railway link was built by a Chinese-Turkish consortium, which was formed when the China Railway Construction Corporation and the China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation won the bid in 2005 to build the railway line in partnership with two Turkish companies, Cengiz Construction and Ibrahim Cecen Ictas Construction. [10]
The line is 533 km (331 mi) long, double tracked, electrified, and signalled, [9] to ETCS level 1 standard [11] [12] and is independent of the original Ankara to Istanbul line. The design speed is 250 km/h (155 mph). [9]
The first part of the line to be constructed (Phase 1) was the Ankara–Eskişehir section, specifically between Sincan and İnönü, scheduled to open in 2006.
The second phase was scheduled to open in 2008 and included more difficult terrain which covers the path between İnönü and Köseköy, extending to Gebze close to Istanbul. [11] The service in this line is expected to start on 25 July 2014. [13] A part of the route has not been completed yet by the time of opening, so conventional line will be used until the completion of the project.
Line section | Length (km) | Start / opening date [note 1] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Ankara–Sincan | 24 | As of 2009, the existing track between Ankara and Esenkent is used until the completion of a dedicated high-speed line [14] As of 2013, one track of high-speed line has been completed between Ankara and Sincan and it is being used with reduced signalling features | |
Sincan–Esenkent | 15 | 2008–2010 [9] | This section has been opened in 2010 with full signalling features |
Esenkent–Eskişehir | 206 | 2004–2009 [14] | Infrastructure includes: 2 road bridges and 30 road underpasses, 7 railway bridges, and 13 river crossings. 4 viaducts (total length over 4 km (2.5 mi)), and 1 tunnel (471 m (1,545 ft)). First test runs in April 2007. [9] |
Eskişehir station | 3.4 km | 2008– [9] | To avoid congestion problems in the city of Eskişehir, a tunnel and cutting project is being undertaken. 2,240 m (7,350 ft) of covered tunnel consisting of 2 high-speed lines, 2 conventional lines, and 1 freight line, plus 1,151 m (3,776 ft) of excavated track (U shape) with 2 high-speed tracks and 1 freight track. [9] Eskisehir station infrastructure works have already started |
Eskişehir–Inönü | 30 | Officially opened on 25 July 2014. [15] | |
Inönü–Vezirhan | 54 | Officially opened on 25 July 2014. [15] | |
Vezirhan–Köseköy | 104 | Officially opened on 25 July 2014. [15] | |
Köseköy–Pendik | 56 | Officially opened on 25 July 2014. [15] | |
Pendik–Söğütlüçeşme–Halkalı | 43 | Opened 12 March 2019 together with the Marmaray project. | |
Söğütlüçeşme–Haydarpaşa (Istanbul) | 2 | Pending completion of repairs. |
The Ankara to Eskişehir section officially opened on 13 March 2009. [14]
The line is operated by the Turkish State Railways, using the TCDD HT65000 six-car train sets constructed by the Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) of Spain.
On 13 November 2009, a high-speed train derailed near Eskişehir. [16]
On 25 July 2014, Istanbul–Ankara high-speed train service started. [17] The stretch has not completed yet, thus service is partially using conventional line, which causes a little longer trip than the target. 8 trains depart every day in both directions. [18] Final station in Istanbul is temporarily Pendik, a district in east of Istanbul. Several public-transport connections are organized to access the HST trains. [19]
In addition to 11 sets of CAF used in Ankara–Eskişehir and Ankara–Konya routes, TCDD had bought seven Siemens Velaro sets for the Ankara–Istanbul line, open by the end of 2013. [20]
TCDD had also opened a new tender for 106 new sets to be supplied in 5 years and used in new-added lines. [21] This tender was cancelled and redone in 2018.
The second high-speed line construction project in Turkey was a line from Polatlı on the Ankara to Istanbul line to Konya. [22]
Prior to the construction of the line, journeys between Ankara and Konya took over 10 hours, travelling from Ankara via Eskişehir and Afyon, with a total length of nearly 1,000 km (621 mi). [23] [note 2] The new high-speed line is 306 km (190 mi) in length, with a journey time of 1 hour and 15 minutes. [23] 212 km (132 mi) of new track is constructed via Polatlı and Konya, with a design permitting up to 350 km/h (217 mph) of high-speed rail transport. [22] ETCS Level 2 will be used. [24]
Construction was split into two phases: Phase 1 was the 100 km (62 mi) section and Phase 2 was the 112 km (70 mi) section between Polatlı and Konya.
Line section | Length (km) | Start / opening date [note 1] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Ankara–Polatlı junction | 98 km | 2004–2009 | Constructed as part of the Ankara to Istanbul high-speed line, on the Sincan – Eskişehir section |
Phase 1 Polatlı via Kocahacılı to the 100 km mark | 100 km | 2007–2011 | An estimated cost increase of 20% due to weak ground [22] |
Phase 2 from 100 km mark to Konya | 112 km | 2006–2011 |
The line includes a tunnel of 2030m. [22] The first test train ran in December 2010; [25] Revenue services began on 24 August 2011. [26] Currently, same CAF trains which are used on Ankara–Eskisehir line are running on this line with 250 km/h maximum speed. In the future, TCDD will procure 6 more sets with up to 350 km/h. The journey time between the two cities (Ankara–Konya) is 1 and a half hours, dropping to 1 hour and 15 minutes in the future. Previously the journey time was 10 hours and 30 minutes. There are 10 trains a day, though this will rise to one per hour in the future.
This 102 km high-speed line opened on 8 January 2022. [27] The Konya-Karaman high-speed line has been designed for a speed of 200 km/h. [28]
More than half of the budgeted investment has been done by 2014, and was planned to open in late-2021. [29]
Prior to the construction of the high-speed line, the railway line length between Ankara and Sivas was 602 km (374 mi), primarily single-tracked, with a travel time of 12 hours. The travel time is cut to 2 hours and 51 minutes [22] The line is double-tracked and have a length of 465 km (289 mi) eastwards from Ankara to Sivas [22] via Kırıkkale, Yerköy and Yozgat [30] and constructed for the most part to the same 250 km/h (155 mph) operational design like other high speed lines except Konya-Karaman line. The infrastructure includes 6 viaducts (with a total length over 3 km (1.9 mi)), 11 tunnels (including one of ~3 km (1.9 mi) in length), and 67 bridges. [31] A 2019 update predicted service in 2022, 3 years behind schedule due to "geographic difficulties", [32] but the project returned to the prior opening date of 2020 summer. [33] In 2022, the Minister of Transport announced the opening of the line by the end of the year, as it is 99% complete in the spring. [34] [35]
The route study was completed by the end of 2006, and put up for tender in two parts; separated at the 174 km (108 mi) mark from Ankara at Yerköy. [31]
The line was inaugurated on 26 April 2023. [36]
Line section | Length (km) | Start / opening date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Ankara–Kırıkkale | 88 | 2013 – April 2023 | Plans are revised due to that previous plans includes short sections of less than high-speed running due to small radius curve sections of track in the Ankara to Kırıkkale section. [31] Inaugurated on 26 April 2023. |
Kırıkkale–Yerköy | 86 | 2013 – April 2023 | Tender is completed in 2012. Inaugurated on 26 April 2023. |
Yerköy–Sivas | 291 | 2009 [37] -April 2023 | 7 tunnels over 10 km in total length and 4 viaducts over 2.7 km in total length. Tender for construction of groundwork awarded in 2008. 7 stations to be built: 3 between Yerköy and Doğakent, and 4 between Doğakent and Sivas, to be separately tendered. [31] Inaugurated on April 26, 2023. |
An extension eastwards to Kars from the Ankara – Sivas line is planned (a feasibility study done in 2006 [38] ), passing through Erzincan and Erzurum. [30] The line is expected to be built in three phases. It will be electrified and double-tracked based on the 250 km/h standard. [39]
The design study for the Sivas–Erzincan section was completed by Italian-based SWS Engineering in July 2021. The project will include 59 bridges totaling 17 km (11 mi), and 35 tunnels totaling 170 km (106 mi) through a region with high seismicity and difficult hydrogeological conditions. [40] The 247 km (153 mi) section will start from the current station in Sivas, through Hafik, Zara, Imranli, Refahiye, and end in Erzincan. [41]
A 142 km double-tracked electrified spur off of the Ankara-Sivas line, planned from Yerköy to Kayseri, construction began in July 2022, and is planned for completion by 2026, reducing travel times from Ankara to under 2 hours with a design speed of 250 km/h. [42]
The 201 km spur off the Istanbul-Ankara line from Osmaneli to Bandırma through Bursa is under construction and is slated for completion by 2026; [43] the full line will be built for 200 km/h operation and cost 9.5 billion lira, bringing travel times between Ankara and Bursa to 2 hours and 10 minutes. [44] The line is 80% complete as of December 2023. [43]
A 229 km line on the European side of the Bosporus will connect Halkalı station in Istanbul with Kapıkule railway station in Edirne. Construction started in 2019 with an anticipated opening in 2025, [45] and the project will reduce travel times from 4 hours to 1 hour 20 minutes. The double-tracked electrified railway will be built for 215 km/h operation and cost 10.5 billion lira, of which more than half is provided by a European Union grant. [46]
A further 135 km extension Ankara-Konya-Karaman line is currently in construction to Ulukışla, which is 89% complete as of winter 2022. [47] Extensions from Ulukışla to Yenice and Aksaray are in the process of being tendered as of 2021, the 200 km/h line is planned to eventually connect to Mersin - Adana - Gaziantep high speed line. [48] The Mersin-Adana-Osmaniye-Gaziantep high speed line is expected to open in 2024. [35]
The project has started and is tentatively planned to open in 2027. [49]
The line will pass through Afyon to meet the high-speed line from Ankara to Istanbul near Polatlı. It will have a length of 624 km, with a projected running speed of 250 km/h [39] The travel will take 3 hours and 30 minutes.
The construction of line is planned in three phases:
Line section | Length (km) | Start / opening date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Ankara–Polatlı junction | 98 | 2004–2009/prior work | Constructed as part of the Ankara to Istanbul high-speed line, on the Sincan – Eskişehir section. |
Polatlı–Konya the 120 km mark | 27 | 2007–2011/prior work | Constructed as part of the Ankara to Konya high-speed line, on the Phase1 section. |
Phase 1 Polatlı–Afyon | 167 | 2016-2018 | The line uses first 120 km. of Ankara – Konya high-speed line. The junction is located approximately 20 km south of Polatlı. Number of tunnels: 11 --- Total tunnel length: 8.000 Meters |
Phase 2 Afyon–Uşak | 2018-2019 | tendered in 2017. | |
Phase 3 Uşak–Manisa–İzmir | 2019-2027 | Under construction. |
The first high-speed trains to run on Turkish rails were two ETR 500 train sets rented from Trenitalia of Italy and were used for testing the completed part of the high-speed railway network, between Eskişehir and Ankara, on 23 April 2007. [50] During the tests, ETR 500 Y2 achieved the current rail speed record in Turkey, reaching 303 km/h. [51]
The Velaro TR (TCDD HT80000) is a Velaro D derived 8-car standard gauge high-speed train for the Turkish State Railways (TCDD). [52] The eight cars, totalling a length of 200 m, can accommodate 519 passengers and reach a top speed of 300 km/h. [2] [3] 25 kV 50 Hz AC power the train with a total of 8 MW. [52]
Turkish State Railways (TCDD) placed an order for seven Velaro high-speed trainsets in July 2013. [53] The contract is worth €285M, including seven years of maintenance. [53] The Velaros are to be deployed on the Turkish high-speed railway network. The first Siemens Velaro TR entered service in 2014. [54]
On 18 February 2015, TCDD ordered another 10 Velaro TR for delivery in 2017. [55] The €400M contract include the first three years of maintenance and spareparts.
Unlike the traditional white – red – dark blue color scheme used on the TCDD HT65000 high-speed trains, a white – turquoise – grey color scheme has been selected for the livery of TCDD's Velaro TR trains. [54]
EUROTEM, alternatively Hyundai EURotem, is a joint enterprise between Hyundai Rotem of South Korea and TÜVASAŞ of Turkey which was established in 2006 [56] and started production in December 2007. [56] The Hyundai EURotem factory in Adapazarı, Turkey, was built as the Hızlı Tren Fabrikası (High-Speed Train Factory) with the purpose of manufacturing the next generation of Turkey's high-speed train sets. [57]
Transport in Turkey is road-dominated and mostly fuelled by diesel. Transport consumes a quarter of energy in Turkey, and is a major source of air pollution in Turkey and greenhouse gas emissions by Turkey. The World Health Organization has called for more active transport such as cycling. As of 2023 health impact assessment is not done in Turkey.
Turkey has a state-owned railway system built to standard gauge which falls under the remit of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. The primary rail carrier is the Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları (TCDD) which is responsible for all long-distance and cross-border freight and passenger trains. A number of other companies operate suburban passenger trains in urban conurbations.
TCDD HT65000 is a series of twelve high-speed electric multiple units built by the Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) of Spain for the Turkish State Railways (TCDD), The EMUs are used on the Turkish high-speed railway network and can reach a maximum commercial speed of 250 km/h.
Ankara railway station is the main railway station in Ankara, Turkey, and is a major transportation hub within the city. The station is on the rail corridor which connects east and west Turkey, which is high speed between Istanbul and Sivas. Ankara station is also a hub for YHT high-speed trains, with its own exclusive platforms and concourse. TCDD Taşımacılık also operates intercity train service to Kars, Tatvan and Kurtalan as well as Başkentray commuter rail service.
The Ankara–Istanbul high-speed railway, is a 562 km (349 mi) long high-speed railway linking Ankara and Istanbul in Turkey. The railway runs mostly parallel to the Istanbul-Ankara railway and passes through some of Turkey's most urbanized areas. The line hosts high-speed YHT train service with a maximum operating speed of 250 km/h (160 mph).
The Istanbul–Ankara railway is a 576.6 km (358.3 mi) long electrified railway in Turkey. The line connects Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, to the capital and second largest city, Ankara; making it one the busiest railways in the country in terms of passenger and freight rail traffic. Beginning at Haydarpaşa station in Istanbul and terminating at Ankara railway station in Ankara, the railway runs parallel to the Ankara-Istanbul high-speed railway and in several sections, hosts YHT high-speed trains.
Rail transport in Turkey began in 1856 with the start of construction of the 130 kilometres (81 mi) İzmir–Aydın Railway.
The State Railways of the Republic of Turkey, abbreviated as TCDD, is a government-owned national railway company responsible for the ownership and maintenance of railways 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.
Yüksek Hızlı Tren or YHT are the high speed train services on high-speed rail in Turkey. They are operated by TCDD Transport and are the country's only high-speed services and the railway's premier intercity train service. As of 2022, the network spans 1,385 km (860.6 mi) and services major cities like Istanbul, Ankara, Eskişehir, İzmit, Konya, and Sivas. Expansion of the system is underway and the network is expected to reach Edirne, Afyonkarahisar, Adana, and İzmir in the 2020s.
Eskişehir railway station is the main railway station in Eskişehir, Turkey. The station is part of a major railway facility, which is one of the largest in the country. Prior to the cancellation of all non-high-speed trains between Ankara and Istanbul, Eskişehir station was one of the busiest stations in Turkey. Eskişehir is served by high-speed trains on the Ankara–Istanbul line. Due to its geographical location, the city is an important railway junction, where two main lines meet. The largest railway factory in Turkey, owned by TÜLOMSAŞ, is located next to the station as well as serving as the headquarters for the company.
The Polatlı–Konya high-speed railway is a 211 km (131 mi) long high-speed railway running from the town of Polatlı to the central Anatolian city of Konya.
Pendik station is the main railway station in Pendik, Istanbul. Located between Hatboyu and Abdülhalik Renda Avenues in southeastern Pendik. TCDD Taşımacılık operates YHT trains to Ankara and Konya, via Eskişehir, along with daily regional trains to Adapazarı. The station is 24.05 km (14.94 mi) away from Haydarpaşa station in central Istanbul. The metro line M10 is currently under construction to make the link with Sabiha Gökçen Airport, which is located about 9 km in the North.
TCDD HT80000, also known as Siemens Velaro TR, is a series of high-speed electric multiple units built by Siemens for the Turkish State Railways. The EMUs are used for the Yüksek Hızlı Tren (YHT) services on the Turkish high-speed railway network and especially on the Polatlı–Konya high-speed railway, where they can reach a maximum speed of 300 km/h (186 mph).
The Capital Express was one of the six daily intercity trains operating between Istanbul and Ankara on the Istanbul-Ankara railway before the Yüksek Hızlı Tren high-speed train service replaced all intercity trains on the line. The Capital Express was the fastest of the six trains, making limited stops only in large cities. The train would complete its journey in just over four hours and in the Eskişehir Province, trains would reach conventional speeds of 150 km/h (93 mph), which still hold the record for fastest conventional train service in Turkey. When the high-speed rail service was opened between Ankara and Eskişehir on 13 March 2009, the Capital Express, along with the other five intercity trains, were cut back between Istanbul and Eskişehir. During this period two more daily intercity trains were added, the Sakarya Express and Eskişehir Express, increasing daily intercity service to eight trains.
The Ankara–Sivas high-speed railway, is a 406 km (252 mi) long high-speed railway in Turkey and is the second longest high-speed railway in the country after the Ankara–Istanbul high-speed railway. Travel time between Ankara and Sivas was reduced to 2 hours and 50 minutes, from around 9 hours and 30 minutes with conventional trains. The railway will also serve as an extension of the Ankara-Istanbul HSR with a total journey time from Istanbul to Sivas at around 7 hours. The line was opened on April 26, 2023.
TCDD Transport or Turkish State Railways Transport is a government-owned railway company responsible for the operations of most passenger and freight rail in Turkey. The company was formed on 14 June 2016, splitting off from Turkish State Railways (TCDD) to take over railway operations, while TCDD would continue to administer railway infrastructure. TCDD Taşımacılık officially began operations on 1 January 2017.
The Sakarya Viaduct is a 2,233 m (7,326 ft) long railway bridge carrying the Ankara-Istanbul high-speed railway across the Sakarya River and its adjacent plain approximately 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Polatlı, Turkey. The bridge is the third longest bridge in Turkey after the Osman Gazi Bridge and the Mount Bolu Viaducts as well as the longest railway bridge in the country.
Ankara Tren Garı, alternatively known as Ankara YHT railway station and abbreviated as ATG, is a mixed-use commercial building in Ankara, Turkey. The building houses a shopping mall, a five-star hotel and commercial offices, as well as a concourse for YHT high-speed trains.
The Konya–Yenice railway is a 344.7 km (214.2 mi) long, partially electrified railway in southern Turkey. The railway is a major route connecting Turkey's Mediterranean coast to the Anatolian interior as well as the only railway line through the Taurus Mountains. The line begins in Konya and runs southeast through Karaman until turning south at Ulukışla and joining the Adana–Mersin railway at Yenice. The section between Konya and Karaman is classified as a High-standard railway, while the rest of the route is classified as a Conventional railway.
Selçuklu YHT railway station, or Selçuklu HSR railway station is a railway station in Konya, Turkey. Opened on 2 October 2021, it is the main high-speed railway station in the city, while Konya station is the main inter-city station. Built on the Polatlı-Konya high-speed railway, the station exclusively services high-speed YHT train from Konya to Ankara and Istanbul. Selçuklu station is the second largest high-speed railway station in Turkey, after Ankara station, with 3 platforms serving 5 tracks and 2 tracks bypassing the station for freight rail.
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