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The Van—Sufian railway (Turkish : Van-Sufian demiryolu, Persian : راه آهن وان-صوفيان) is a 362 kilometres (225 mi) long single track railway in eastern Turkey and western Iran. The railway begins at the Van Pier in Van, Turkey, on the eastern shore of Lake Van, and runs east to Sufian, Iran, where it connects to the Tabriz-Jolfa railway.
The oldest segment of the railway dates back to the early 20th century, during World War I, when a 53 km (33 mi) branch railway was built from Sufian to Sharafkhaneh.
The construction of a railway to Iran, via Van, was approved on 15 June 1937. The railway would continue east from Diyarbakır to Van and to the Iranian border at Kapıköy. [1] Construction began shortly after and the railway reached Kurtalan in 1940. Due to the mountainous terrain between Kurtalan and Tatvan, the route was changed and its western starting became Elazığ. From Elazığ the railway would be built to Tatvan, via Muş, reaching Tuğ in 1964. [2] A train ferry was established as a temporary means of transport between Tuğ and Van, as a bypass of Lake Van was planned. [3] In the 1960s, Turkey and Iran came to an agreement to construct a railway from Van to Sharafkhaneh. The Van-Razi segment opened in 1971, while the Razi-Sharafkhaneh segment opened in 1977.
The railway is used primarily for freight rail, although the Iranian Railways operates passenger trains between Salmas and Sufian. The last passenger rail service in Turkey was suspended in July 2015, due to safety concerns regarding the Kurdish–Turkish conflict. Prior to suspension of passenger rail, the Trans-Asian Express used the railway between 2001 and 2015 on its journey from Istanbul, later Ankara, to Tehran. [4] Other international trains were from Van to Tabriz and Damascus to Tehran. The latter was cancelled after the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011. A daily regional train also operated between Van and Özalp until 2015. The line is used mostly for through-traffic since freight rail facilities are minimal. The largest railyard along the route is in Van, adjacent to the city's railway station. Other small yards/sidings are located at Kapıköy and Razi.
The Republic Monument is a notable monument located at Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, to commemorate the formation of the Turkish Republic in 1923.
Tatvan is a city on the western shore of Lake Van. It is the chief city of Tatvan District within Bitlis Province in eastern Turkey, and has about 96,000 inhabitants. The current Mayor is Mehmet Emin Geylani (AKP).
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.
Buca station was a railway station in İzmir, Turkey. Located in the Vali Rahmi Bey neighborhood of Buca, it was one of the oldest railway stations in Turkey. The station was originally opened by the Buca Branch Railway, a subsidiary of the Ottoman Railway Company, in 1872.
Statue of Honor, aka Atatürk Monument, is a monument situated at Atatürk Park in İlkadım district of Samsun, Turkey dedicated to the landing of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in Samsun initiating what is later termed the Turkish War of Independence. The monument became the landmark of Samsun.
Tatvan railway station is located in the town of Tatvan, Turkey in eastern Anatolia. It is one of two railway stations serving the town, the other one being Tatvan Pier.
Van railway station is the main railway station in Van, Turkey. Up until July 2015, the Trans-Asia Express, from Tehran, Iran, stopped at the station. The train would continue to the Van Pier, where passengers would travel to Tatvan via ferry, and the western half of the train would continue to Ankara. As of mid-2015, freight trains are the only rail traffic at the station. However, as of September 2018, a twice weekly service to Tabriz is due to resume.
Malatya railway station is the main railway station in the city of Malatya, Turkey. The station was built in 1931 by the Turkish State Railways as part of the railway to Diyarbakır. TCDD Taşımacılık operates three trains through the station: the Lake Van Express to Ankara or Tatvan, the Southern Express to Ankara or Kurtalan and the Euphrates Express to Elazığ or Adana.
Elazığ station is a station in the city of Elazığ, Turkey. TCDD Taşımacılık operates two intercity trains to Ankara or Van, and Adana as well as one regional train to Tatvan.
Diyarbakır railway station is the main railway station in the city of Diyarbakır, Turkey. TCDD Taşımacılık operates the Southern Kurtalan Express to Ankara or Kurtalan and a daily regional train to Batman.
Kurtalan railway station is the easternmost railway station in Siirt Province, Turkey. It is also the eastern terminus of the Southern Kurtalan Express which connects Ankara and Kurtalan.
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Kırıkkale station is the main railway station in Kırıkkale, Turkey. The station was originally opened on 20 November 1925 by the Anatolian—Baghdad Railways and was one of the first railway stations built by the newly formed Republic of Turkey.
Tatvan Pier railway station is a railway station and pier in Tatvan, Turkey. Situated on the western shore of Lake Van, the station serves as a connection between modes of transport, with two slips carrying a total of seven tracks. TCDD Taşımacılık operates a ferry between Tatvan and Van, which also carries freight railcars and automobiles across the lake. Up until July 2015, the Trans-Asia Express, from Ankara, stopped at the station. Passengers would travel to Van via ferry, where the eastern half of the train would continue to Tehran, Iran. As of mid-2015, freight trains are the only rail traffic at the station.
Van Pier railway station is a railway station and pier in Van, Turkey. Situated on the eastern shore of Lake Van, 5.8 km (3.6 mi) west of the city center, the station serves as a connection between modes of transport, with two slips carrying a total of seven tracks. TCDD Taşımacılık operates a ferry between Van and Tatvan, which also carries freight railcars and automobiles across the lake. Up until July 2015, the Trans-Asia Express, from Tehran, Iran, stopped at the station. Passengers would travel to Tatvan via ferry, where the western half of the train would continue to Ankara. As of mid-2015, freight trains are the only rail traffic at the station. Van Pier is the western terminus of the Van-Sofian railway, which is not connected to the rest of the Turkish railway network.
The Üsküdar Ferry Terminal, also known as the Üsküdar Pier, is a ferry terminal in Üsküdar, Istanbul, located along Paşa Limanı Avenue on the Bosporus strait. It is used by Municipal Şehir Hatları ferries as well as private Dentur ferries. Şehir Hatları ferries operate to several piers along the Bosporus and Golden Horn, while Dentur operates frequent ferry service to Kabataş and Beşiktaş.
Balışıh railway station is a railway station in Balışeyh, Turkey. The station was originally opened on 20 November 1925 by the Anatolian—Baghdad Railways and was one of the first railway stations built by the newly formed Republic of Turkey.
Çerikli railway station is a railway station in Çerikli, Turkey. The station was originally opened on 20 November 1925 by the Anatolian—Baghdad Railways and was one of the first railway stations built by the newly formed Republic of Turkey.
Yahşihan railway station is a railway station in Yahşihan, Turkey, just west of Kırıkkale. The station was built in 1924 and opened on 20 November 1925 by the Anatolian—Baghdad Railways and was one of the first railway stations built by the newly formed Republic of Turkey.
