Infrastructure
Turkey Unveils New High-Speed Rail Line Linking Istanbul And Sivas
Swarajya Staff
May 07, 2024, 12:38 PM | Updated 12:38 PM IST
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Turkey inaugurated a new high-speed train line on Saturday (4 May), linking Istanbul to the central Anatolian city of Sivas, marking a milestone in the country’s transportation infrastructure development.
The Istanbul-Sivas rail link will cover a distance of around 700 km (430 miles) in seven hours and 18 minutes, with each train capable of accommodating up to 483 passengers, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Istanbul, Osman Boyraz, deputy minister of transport and infrastructure, emphasised Turkey's strategic importance in international freight and passenger transportation.
Boyraz highlighted Turkey's substantial investment of $57 billion over the past 22 years in constructing and modernising its railway network. These investments have resulted in the expansion of the country's total railway length from 10,948 kilometres to 13,919 kilometres, with the addition of 2,251 kilometres of high-speed rail.
Turkey's maiden high-speed rail, connecting the capital, Ankara, and Eskisehir, became operational in 2009. Subsequently, the line was extended to Istanbul in 2014, forming a comprehensive network spanning a total of 533 kilometres.
Parts of the Ankara-Istanbul line were built through collaboration between the China Railway Construction Corporation, the China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation, and two Turkish firms.
According to Boyraz, high-speed trains have facilitated the transportation of 85 million passengers since 2009.
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