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) or 300 km/h (186 mph) (HT80000).
The TCDD E43000 is a twin-cab six-axle Bo-Bo-Bo electric locomotive used previously by the Turkish State Railways and currently by TCDD Taşımacılık in Turkey. The locomotives were designed by Toshiba and built by TÜLOMSAŞ at their Eskişehir shops. The locomotive is based on the JNR Class EF63 electric locomotive in Japan, built by Toshiba. The Turkish State Railways ordered 45 locomotives as part of the railways electrification program of the late-1980s early-1990s.
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 Adapazarı Express officially listed as the Haydarpaşa-Adapazarı Regional was a regional rail service, that ran between Istanbul and Adapazarı. For the majority of its time in service, it was the second-busiest route of the Turkish State Railways, after the Adana-Mersin Regional. Trains served a heavily populated region on the north-east shores of the Sea of Marmara and the Sakarya plain. Service was frequent with 12 trains daily in each direction in 2012. The Regional service also passed through important districts of Istanbul such as Kadıköy, Maltepe, Kartal, Pendik, Tuzla as well as Gebze, İzmit and Adapazarı. Because of the cities, the train service earned the nickname Metropolitan Express. The train used to service Coşkunoğulları station until the TOE factory was closed in 1991. It also serviced Acısu, Tepetarla and Kurtköy stations until 1998. Due to the construction of the Istanbul-Ankara high-speed railway, the Haydarpaşa-Adapazarı Regional service was discontinued on 1 February 2012 in order to upgrade the existing railway line. On 5 January 2015 service between Arifiye and Pendik was reopened with a new, faster regional service known as the Ada Express.
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 State Railways of the Republic of Turkey, abbreviated as TCDD, is a government-owned national railway company responsible for 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.
The Ankara Express is a daily overnight intercity passenger train, operated by TCDD Taşımacılık, between Istanbul and Ankara, with major stops at İzmit and Eskişehir. The train makes the 610.3 km (379.2 mi) long journey in about 8 and-a-half hours.
Yüksek Hızlı Tren or YHT is a high-speed rail service in Turkey, operated by TCDD Taşımacılık, and is 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.
Bostancı railway station is a railway station in Kadıköy, Istanbul and is the easternmost station in the district. Located along Bağdat Avenue in the Bostancı neighborhood of Kadıköy, it was a station on the Haydarpaşa suburban between 1951 and 2013, when the railway between Haydarpaşa and Pendik was closed. On 12 March 2019 the station reopened to Marmaray commuter rail service. Prior to 2012, the station was also serviced by many intercity trains to Ankara and Anatolia as well as frequent regional train service to Adapazarı. Bostancı station is 8.64 km (5.37 mi) away from Haydarpaşa Terminal.
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.
Polatlı HSR station, short for Polatlı High Speed Rail station is a railway station serving the Ankara–Istanbul high-speed railway just southeast of Polatlı. The station was opened on 16 February 2011, two years after the opening of the railway between Ankara and Eskişehir, and is the first railway station in Turkey to be dedicated to high-speed rail. Polatlı YHT is served by two tracks via side platforms with two express tracks in middle, as not all scheduled YHT trains stop at Polatlı.
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.
Konya station is an inter-city railway station serving the central anatolian city of Konya. It serves as the southern terminus of the Polatlı–Konya high-speed railway with YHT high-speed trains from Ankara and Istanbul servicing the station. Inter-city trains to İzmir and Adana also terminate at the station. In 2011, the station was expanded, modernized and electrified to accommodate the new YHT high-speed rail service.
Bozüyük HSR station, short for Bozüyük High Speed Rail station, is a railway station on the Ankara–Istanbul high-speed railway just south of Bozüyük, Turkey. The station opened on 25 July 2014, along with the Eskişehir-Istanbul portion of the high-speed railway and is for the moment one of three railway stations in Turkey to be dedicated to high-speed rail. Bozüyük YHT has three tracks served by two platforms and two tracks in the middle for passing trains.
Bilecik HSR station, short for Bileck High Speed Rail station, is a railway station on the Ankara–Istanbul high-speed railway just east of Bilecik, Turkey. The station opened on 1 June 2015, almost a year after the opening of the Eskişehir-Istanbul portion of the high-speed railway, and is for the moment one of three railway stations in Turkey dedicated to high-speed rail. Bilecik YHT has the same layout as the Polatlı YHT railway station; two tracks served by two side platforms and two passing tracks in the middle, as all scheduled YHT trains do not stop at Bilecik.
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 Boğaziçi Express was a named passenger train operated between Istanbul and Ankara until 2012, when it was shortened between Arifiye and Ankara then later Arifiye to Eskişehir. The train was discontinued on 24 July 2014 and replaced by high-speed YHT 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.
