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Turkish State Railways

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State Railways of the Republic of Turkey
Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları
Map of the TCDD railway network as of 2023. TCDD owns and maintains all railway infrastructure in Turkey, while TCDD Taşımacılık operates train service.
YHT high-speed rail service is the railway's premier train service. Here, HT80004 waits to depart the new ATG terminal in Ankara, bound for Konya.
Overview
HeadquartersAnkara, Turkey
Reporting markTCDD
LocaleTurkey
Dates of operation1929–present
PredecessorState Railways and Seaports Administration
SuccessorTCDD Taşımacılık (Railway operations only)
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Previous gauge1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) Broad gauge (Sarıkamış-Gyumri)
750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) Narrow gauge (Sarıkamış-Erzurum)
Electrification25 kV, 50 Hz AC Overhead line
Length12,532 kilometres (7,787 mi)[1]
Other
Websitewww.tcdd.gov.tr

The State Railways of the Republic of Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları), 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.[2]

The Turkish State Railways owns and maintains all public railways in Turkey. This includes railway stations, ports, bridges and tunnels, yards and maintenance facilities. In 2016, TCDD controlled an active network of 12,532 km (7,787 mi) of railways, making it the 22nd-largest railway system in the world. Apart from railway infrastructure, TCDD also owns several rail transport companies within Turkey as well as a 50% share of the İzmir-area commuter rail system, İZBAN.

Prior to 2017, TCDD also operated all railways in Turkey. However, with the government taking steps to privatise some of the Turkish railway network, TCDD Taşımacılık was formed on 14 June 2016 to take over all railway operations. Handover of rolling stock was signed on 28 December of the same year, and TCDD formally ceased all railway operations on 31 December 2016.[3]

History

[edit]
See also: History of rail transport in Turkey
Map showing the Ottoman railways on the eve of World War I

After World War I and the Turkish Independence War, the Republic of Turkey was a new-formed country. Even though Turkey had a railway network, most of it was operated by foreign companies. The State Railways of the Republic of Turkey (TCDD) was formed on 31 May 1927. TCDD took over the Chemin de fer d'Anatolie-Baghdad, a holding company formed in 1924 by Turkey to take over some rail lines in Turkey, on 1 June 1927 and had control over the tracks of the former Anatolian Railway (CFOA) and the Transcaucasus Railway line in Turkish borders. TCDD now had rail lines to the cities Istanbul, İzmit, Ankara, Afyon, Adapazarı and Konya. On 1 January 1929, TCDD took over the rail line from Mersin to Adana (formerly the Mersin-Tarsus-Adana Railway). Apart from taking over already built lines, TCDD needed to build more line because many important cities were still not serviced by rail. In 1926, TCDD started to build a rail line east to Sivas, reaching Kayseri in 1927 and Sivas in 1930. TCDD continued to acquire from the other rail companies; taking over the Mudanya-Bursa Railway in 1931, the Smyrna Cassaba Railway in 1934, the Ottoman Railway Company in 1935 and the Oriental Railway in 1937. With most of the railways in Turkey under TCDD control, TCDD connected lines such as Kütahya with Balıkesir in 1932 and the former SCP line in Afyon with the former CFOA line. In 1932 TCDD completed the railway to Samsun heading north at Sivas. TCDD continued to build lines, reaching Zonguldak, Erzurum, Erzincan, Diyarbakır and Elazığ in the following years. World War II broke out in 1938, slowing down the building. Between 1938 and 1996, TCDD building decreased. The railway only extended to Gaziantep (1955) and Van (1962).

Formerly planned railways

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In 1948, the State Railways released a plan of railway lines that were to be constructed to "ensure national progression and safety".[4] The plan included 5,538 km (3,441 mi) of new railway lines of which only 96 km (60 mi) were actually completed; the Gaziantep-Karkamış section of the Narlı-Nusaybin railway was completed in 1960.[5]

Operations

[edit]
Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları
Company typeGovernment-owned (100%)
IndustryRailway company
FoundedAnkara (1927)
HeadquartersAnkara, Turkey
Key people
İsa Apaydın
RevenueIncrease 2 billion ₺ (2015)[6]
Increase 1.26 billion ₺ (2014)[6]
Increase −1.5 billion ₺ (2015)[6]
OwnerRepublic of Turkey
Number of employees
Decrease 29,829 (2014)[7]
Subsidiaries
WebsiteTCDD Official Website – Homepage (English/Turkish)

The Turkish State Railways operates most trains in the country. Intercity, regional, suburban, freight and most industrial lines are owned and operated by the State Railways. The only other railways in Turkey include İZBAN (TCDD holds 50% of the company's shares) which operates commuter rail service around İzmir and a few other industrial railways. In addition to rail services, TCDD has been responsible since 1927 for operating several major ports, which handle 30% of Turkish port activities.[8]

Passenger operations

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The Turkish State Railways operate passenger services on 90% of their system. These are intercity, regional, commuter and international services. In the railway's first year 52% of passenger travel in Turkey was by rail, despite the system lacking connections to many parts of the country. Rail transport was the main mode of transport for passengers in the following two decades, reaching an all-time high of 57% of passenger transport in 1947, but then started to decline after 1950, due to the mass construction of roads.[9] Today, the passenger ratio is slowly increasing with the opening of high-speed rail lines in Turkey.

In 2019, almost 150 million people traveled by train in Turkey. 17.5 million on main lines, 8.3 million on high-speed lines (2% increase compared to 2018) and 124 million used the Marmaray commuter railway.[10] The share of railway in domestic travels in 2013 is about 2.2%.[11]

The types of passenger service are:

  • High-speed (Hızlı Tren): High-speed rail services and TCDD's premier service.
  • Mainline (Anahat): Intercity trains operating between major cities.
  • International (Uluslararası): Trains operating on international routes, toward Europe or the Middle East.
  • Regional (Bölgesel): Trains operating within their respective districts.
  • Commuter (Banliyö): Commuter trains, currently operating in Ankara and Istanbul.

High-speed services

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Main article: High-speed rail in Turkey
A TCDD HT80000 (Siemens Velaro TR) high-speed train (YHT) in Ankara

High-speed rail in Türkiye began service in 2009. TCDD has branded its high-speed service as Yüksek Hızlı Tren or YHT, directly translating to High-Speed Train, dubbed after the trains' capacity to reach 250 km/h (and in some advanced sections of the Ankara-Konya railroad up to 300 km/h). There had been previously tried but failed accelerated train projects, i.e. higher speed rail without the necessary upgrades on the railroad tracks, causing a number of accidents and ending up with losses incurred by TCDD in early 2000s. YHT, in stark contrast, became a commercially successful, safe and cheap alternative to Flights and Roads, cutting the travel time between the city centers of two largest cities of the country up to 4 hours. Currently, YHT trains operate 22 daily trips based from its central hub in Ankara, in addition to more trips on the Istanbul–Konya high-speed railway that bypass Ankara.[citation needed]

YHT currently operates on two main lines: the Ankara–Istanbul high-speed railway, and Ankara–Konya high-speed railway. In total, these lines connect 8 provincial capitals out of 81 Provinces in Türkiye, namely Adapazarı (via Arifli), Ankara, Bilecik, Eskişehir, Istanbul, İzmit, Karaman and Konya. There are currently ongoing construction projects aiming to link up at least 6 more provincial capitals, including third and fourth largest cities of the country İzmir and Bursa, besides Afyonkarahisar, Edirne, Kayseri, Sivas and other potential cities. Further ambitions at the planning stage eventually aim to link up East and West points of the country through high-speed railways and act as an international High-speed railway bridge across Europe and Asia[citation needed]

A TCDD HT65000 in Eskişehir

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 line services began to reach the Pendik railway station on the Asian side of Istanbul,[12] 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.[13] The high-speed line between Ankara and Istanbul has reduced the overland travel time to 3+1⁄2 hours, compared to 5 hours by car.[citation needed]

On 23 August 2011, the YHT service on the Ankara–Konya high-speed railway was inaugurated. The Konya-Ankara line was later connected with the Istanbul–Ankara line at the Polatlı district of Ankara Province on 23 March 2013, essentially bypassing the city of Ankara and shortening the distance from Istanbul to Konya to 5 hours. Most recently on 8 January 2022, the Konya line was extended into another provincial capital, Karaman.[citation needed]

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 kilometers.[14]

Mainline services

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A DE22000 series locomotive pulls the Karesi Express into Menemen

Mainline service (Turkish: Anahat) is the railway's main service. In 2010 mainline services made up for 24% of the railways passenger traffic.[15] Mainline service includes 2 types of trains: Express and Blue Train.

Express service is between major cities and are fast, comfortable and equipped with modern air-conditioned TVS2000 railcars and only stop at important stations. Express trains have an average operating speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) to 120 km/h (75 mph). Express service has both day (e.g. İzmir-Bandırma) and overnight trains between major cities far apart (e.g. Ankara-Kars). These trains have coaches, a dining car and a sleeping car or a couchette car, or sometimes both.[citation needed]

The TVS2000 railcars used on mainline service are the most comfortable cars in TCDD's entire fleet. TVS2000 railcars may also be used on International services because international services are considered mainline services within Turkey.[citation needed]

International services

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See also: Turkish_State_Railways_Transport § International_rail
Former international services
[edit]
See also: Haydarpaşa Terminal
Haydarpaşa Terminal on the Anatolian side of Istanbul was opened in 1908 as the terminus of the Istanbul-Konya-Baghdad and Istanbul-Damascus-Medina lines.

The Haydarpaşa Terminal was the terminus for a weekly train, to Tehran in Iran, another train to Iran used to travel between Van, Turkey and Tebriz in Iran.[16]

Additionally, trains from Iran to Syria (and vice versa) used to pass through Turkey.[16]

Regional services

[edit]

Commuter services

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As of 2011, the Turkish State Railways operate commuter rail in Istanbul and Ankara, with previous commuter service in İzmir from up to 2006, which is now operated by İZBAN. The railways use the E14000 and the E23000 EMUs on their commuter services. Previously, the newly retired E8000 EMUs and the E4000 electric locomotives were used as well. The first commuter rail service in Turkey was the Istanbul-Halkalı Line on the European side of Istanbul, operating from Sirkeci Terminal to Halkalı in 1955.[21][22][23]

Freight operations

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Rail freight transport

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From 1980 onwards, rail freight tonne-kilometers transported by the TCDD rose slightly from ≈5000million tonne-km in 1980 to ≈7000million tonne-km in 1990 and to ≈9000million tonne-km in 2000.[24] Approximately 50% of freight moved is minerals or ores, with construction materials increasing to ≈10% in 2000 from less than 5% in 1980, food/agricultural products, chemicals/petroleum, and metal sectors each account for between 5 and 10%. International freight accounted for approximately 5% of totals in 2000.[24]

As of 2012, 25.7 million tons are transported by rail in Turkey. Two steel companies, Erdemir and Kardemir, top 2 customers of TCDD, had transported 4.5 million tons in 2012, mainly iron ore and coal.[25] 2.1 million tons of rail freight belong to international traffic. Most of international traffic is between Turkey and Europe, done via Kapikule. Several container trains are running in this route as well as conventional wagons.[26]

As of 2014, 26.6 million tons are transported on rail in Turkey. 7.1 million of it is done by private wagons. International transport went down to 1.7 million.[27]

Containers are widely used both in international and domestic transportation. 7.6 million tons are carried in containers. TCDD supports transportation by containers. Thus, almost all of the private railway companies invested in container wagons, and carrying 20% of all rail freight by their own wagons.[28]

TCDD has plans to strengthen freight traffic by adding 4000 km of conventional lines until 2023.[needs update] That includes new international rail connections to Georgia, Iraq and Iran.[29] TCDD is also constructing 18 logistic centers to enable transportation of more loads by rail.[30]

TCDD is planning to increase its transit traffic (11000 to in 2011) by constructing "iron silk road" to connect Europe to Asia. Marmaray is the most important part of this project which was completed in 2015 and now in service.[31] Another project is Kars–Tbilisi–Baku railway which is planned to be completed in 2016 and start functioning in 2017.[32] Also, plans for another supplying project to Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway, the Kars-Igdir-Nakhcivan high-speed railway has been completed.[33] TCDD wants to have share from the freight traffic between Europe and China through this line.[34]

Ports

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Port of Haydarpaşa

The State Railways own and operate seven ports throughout the country and has connections to two more ports. The ports TCDD owns are the Port of Haydarpaşa[35] in Istanbul on the southern mouth of the Bosphorus, the Port of İzmir[36] on the Aegean Sea, the Port of Mersin[37] and the Port of İskenderun[38] on the Mediterranean Sea, the Port of Bandırma[39] on the Sea of Marmara, the Port of Derince[40] on the Gulf of İzmit, and the Port of Samsun on the Black Sea. The railways have connections to the Port of Zonguldak,[41] owned by Türkiye Taşkömürü Kurumu (Turkish Coal Company), the Port of Tekkeköy and the Port of Tekirdağ,[42] owned by AKPORT AŞ. In 2004, the privatization of all ports except Haydarpaşa began.[43]

By 2014 Mersin, Iskenderun, Bandirma, Samsun ports are privatized.[44] Tender for privatization of Derince Port has also completed and waiting for takeover.[45]

The state railways are planning on building rail connections to the Port of Güllük[46] (via Çine) and to the Port of Ereğli, which TCDD serviced until 2004.

The ports TCDD owns are the most important in Turkey. The country's five largest ports are owned by the state railways. The Port of Haydarpaşa will soon be decommissioned, when the Marmaray project is complete.[citation needed]

Performance, market share, assets and financial results

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Main hall of the ATG terminal for YHT passenger services
The ATG terminal in Ankara is a hub for the high-speed rail (YHT) services of the Turkish State Railways

Since 1950, the railway system's market share of freight transportation dropped from 70% to ≈55% (1960), ≈25% (1970), ≈10% (1980, 1990) and to less than 10% in 2000. A similar trend was observed in the percentage of passenger transport performed by rail – dropping from a share of greater than 40% in 1950 to ≈25% in 1960; less than 10% in 1970; ≈5% by 1980; and reaching an all-time low of 2% by 2000.[47] This was partly due to major investment and expansion in the road network.

The TCDD receives subsidies from the government for socially necessary operations, but has registered increasing losses in all its areas of business except for port operations; which have high port tariffs (higher than 36%).[47] By 2000, the cost to the Turkish government had exceeded $500 million per year in addition to a subsidy of over $100 million.[47] In addition to the problems caused by the lack of investment from 1950 onwards, the TCDD organisation has been characterised as suffering from the common problems associated with state-owned enterprises; i.e. emphasis on production rather than customer needs; subject to government reliance and interference; and an inward-looking corporate culture.[47]

As of 2008, the amount of freight transported was the highest ever (18.343 million tonne-kilometers); though actual growth was small over the previous 10 years, and passenger figures had risen slightly overall over the past decade.[43]

As of 2008, the TCDD administers the Ankara Railway Factory, Sivas Concrete Sleeper factory, Afyon Concrete Sleeper factory, Behiçbey rail welding and track machinery repair factory and Çankırı Switch factory. Additionally, the state owned companies TÜLOMSAŞ, TÜDEMSAŞ and TÜVASAŞ are affiliates. The TCDD has a 50% share in the İzmir Banliyö Taşımacılığı Sistemi A.Ş. (İZBAN A.Ş.) which operates the metro in İzmir, and a 15% share in EUROTEM.[43]

Rolling stock

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Currently rolling stock is the responsibility of TCDD Transport.

Retired fleet

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Locomotives

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Model Picture Numbers Built Acquired Type Power Builder (Designer) Notes
Road power
E4000 4001–4003 1955 1955 Electric 2170 hp (1620 kW) Alsthom Ordered for use on TCDD's first electrified line.
DE20000 20001-20005 1957–58 1957–58 Diesel Electric 1800 hp (1320 kW) General Electric
E2000 2000 1955 1961 Electric 2346 hp (1750 kW) MTE Ex SNCF BBB 20003
DH27000 27001-27003 1961 1961 Diesel Hydraulic ???? Krauss-Maffei
DE21500 21501-21540 1964–65 1965 Diesel Electric 1580 hp (2150 kW) General Electric
E40000 40001-40015 1969 1971–1973 Electric ???? hp (2945 kW) Alsthom and TÜVASAŞ (Groupement 50 Hz)
E52500 52501-52520 1967 1998–2005 Electric 5180 hp (3860 kW) Končar (ASEA) Originally built in 1967 as class 441, acquired and overhauled by TCDD in 1998. Returned after loan contract end.
Switchers
DH33100 33101-33105 1953 1953 Diesel Hydraulic 350 hp (260 kW) MaK TCDD's first diesel locomotive.
DH44100 44101-44106 1955 1955 Diesel Hydraulic 800 hp (590 kW) MaK
DH6000 6001 1959 1959 Diesel Hydraulic 610 hp (445 kW) Jenbacher Type DH600C
DH4100 4101 1960 1960 Diesel Hydraulic 410 hp (300 kW) Jenbacher Type DH400C
DH6500 6501–6540 1960 1960 Diesel Hydraulic 650 hp (480 kW) Krupp
DH3600 3601–3624 1968 1968 Diesel Hydraulic 350 hp (260 kW) MaK Based on the DE22000.
DH11500 11501-11511 1960 1982 Diesel Hydraulic 1100 hp (810 kW) MaK Acquired from Deutsche Bahn in 1982.

Trainsets

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Model Picture Numbers Built Type Power Builder (Designer) Notes
MT5200 5201–5202 1944 DMU 840 hp MAN
MT5300 5301–5516 1951 DMU 1100 hp MAN
E8000 8001–8030 1955 EMU 1020 kW Alsthom
MT5500 5501–5511 1968 DMU 580 hp Fiat
E14000 14001-14075 1979 EMU 1040 kW TÜVASAŞ (Groupement 50 Hz)

Railcars

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Model Picture Numbers Built Type Power Builder (Designer) Notes
1-6 5401–5420 1934 Railcar 85 hp Škoda
21-25 5401–5420 1935 Railcar 130 hp MAN
MV5100 5401–5420 1942 Railcar 210 hp Uerdingen
MT5400 5401–5420 1954 Railcar 300 hp SCCF
RM3000 5401–5420 1960 Railcar 340 hp Uerdingen/Germany
MT5600 1990 Railcar 550 hp TÜVASAŞ Used for regional services

Network

[edit]

TCDD directly owns and operates 8,697 km (5,404 mi) of common carrier lines, of which 1,920 km (1,190 mi) are electrified, throughout 57 provinces.[48] Along with this, the railways own and operate over 240 km (150 mi) of industrial lines and 206 km (128 mi) of high-speed lines, with 574 km (357 mi) of lines under construction.[49] As of 2010, the railways consist of 763 tunnels, 25,441 bridges, 17 wyes and 7 loops.[50] The railway's fleet consists of 467 main line Diesel locomotives, 67 Electric locomotives, 860 passenger coaches, 135 MUs, 33 High-speed rail sets and 15,384 freight cars.[51] TCDD also owns 3 rail ferries.

Standards

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Electrification

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Railways powered by electricity in Turkey comprised less than half of the network in 2020, but the aim is for over three-quarters by 2023.[52] Along with these several Turkish cities operate rapid transit and tram system electrified with either overhead wire or third rail.

By 2013, the electrified lines reached to 2416 km.[53] There is also 888 km of electrified high speed train network, which makes 3304 km in total.

History

[edit]

Turkish State Railways started an electrification plan in 1953. The plan was to first electrify important suburban lines in Istanbul and Ankara. The main reason for this was the many complaints of citizens living in the city about the pollution of the steam locomotives. The railways chose the standard 25 kV 50 Hz AC system to electrify with. The first line to be electrified was the Sirkeci-Halkalı line on the İstanbul commuter railway. Three electric locomotives were ordered from Alsthom and Jeumont from France as well as several sets of multiple units. Electrification was complete and electric train started to run on December 4, 1955.[54] The electrification got many positive reactions. In 1969, TCDD electrified the Haydarpaşa–Gebze part of the commuter railway in İstanbul. Several more sets of E8000 emus were ordered as well as 15 E40000 electric locomotives to meet the demands of the railway. The Ankara Suburban Railway was electrified in 1972 and brand new E14000 multiple units were ordered.[citation needed]

E43000 electric locomotive

With the success of electrifying suburban lines, the State Railways turned to electrify important main lines. The main reason for this is that tough gradients would be easier to climb with electric traction than steam or diesel traction. On February 6, 1977, TCDD finished the electrification as well as major earthworks of the Gebze-Adapazarı part of the İstanbul–Adapazarı main line. The State Railway then turned to electrify the entire İstanbul-Ankara main line, to try to save its diminishing reputation. Construction started in 1987. Forty-five E43000 electric locomotives were ordered from Toshiba and built in Eskişehir by Tülomsaş, to be used on the line. Electrification was completed between Arifye and Eskişehir and electric trains began to run in 1989. Electrification was connected to Ankara in 1993. The major ore route between Divriği and İskenderun was electrified in 1994 to make it easier for heavy trains to go up steep gradients. İstanbul to Edirne and Kapıkule was electrified in 1997 and 15 new E52500 electric locomotives were delivered from ASEA in 1998. In an attempt to revive İzmir's suburban network, Alsancak-Cumaovası and Basmane-Aliağa lines were electrified in 2001 and 2002 respectively. However these were not used at all. In 2006 the wires were taken down and the line was re-electrified completely between 2006 and 2010. This line opened on August 30, 2010, between Alsancak-Cumaovası and October 29, 2010, between Alsancak and Aliağa.[citation needed]

High speed rail

[edit]

The United Kingdom through Export Finance, a credit agency gave a Turkish multinational a €781m loan to finish the High speed rail.[55] The railway is between Gaziantep and Mersin through Adana and Osmaniye.[55] Rönesans Holding, the Dutch Turkish company in charge of the project is required by the UK to be supplied by British suppliers.[55] Mehmet Şimşek, Turkish finance minister said the project is meant to improve the connectivity of Turkey and upgrades Turkey's historic south trade route.[55] The high speed rail is supposed to reach 225km/h, to reach this Railway Supply said Turkey will have to indtroduce modern modifications of its trasnport system and update train engines.[56] The Turkish trasnporation ministry said eight carriages are supposed to commence passenger transportation in 2025.[56]

Future plans

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Almost 1500 km of track was planned to be completely electrified in 2020.[57]

Sources

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  • Difiglio, Prof. Carmine; Güray, Bora Şekip; Merdan, Ersin (November 2020). Turkey Energy Outlook. iicec.sabanciuniv.edu (Report). Sabanci University Istanbul International Center for Energy and Climate (IICEC). ISBN 978-605-70031-9-5.
A TCDD HT65000 high-speed train on the Ankara–Konya YHT line

Turkey has chosen to electrify at the conventional 25 kV 50 Hz AC. The first electrified lines were the Istanbul suburban lines on the European side, from Sirkeci to Soğuksu, on 4 December 1955, and in the same period the E8000 electrical multiple units were taken into use. The suburban lines on the Asian side of Istanbul, from Haydarpaşa to Gebze, were electrified in 1969; while the Ankara suburban trains were electrified in 1972, on the line from Sincan to Kayaş.[citation needed]

On 6 February 1977 the tracks from Gebze to Adapazarı were made double track and electrified, allowing the first main line operation of electric trains in Turkey. The line from Arifiye outside Adapazarı to Eskişehir were further electrified in 1989 and in 1993 to Sincan, allowing electric train passages from Istanbul to Ankara. In 1994 the European lines from Istanbul to Edirne, Kapıkule and the Bulgarian border were also electrified. The same year the line from Divriği to İskenderun in eastern Turkey was also electrified, though this line is not connected to the rest of the electrified network. In 2006 the İzmir suburban system was also electrified.[citation needed]

Regions

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Region 1

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TCDD District 1
Haydarpaşa Terminal
Overview
StatusOperational
OwnerTurkish State Railways
LocaleEuropean Turkey, western Anatolia
Stations120
Service
TypeIntercity rail
SystemTurkish State Railways
Operator(s)Turkish State Railways
History
Opened1876 as the Central Anatolia Railway
Technical
Line length876 km (544 mi)
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
ElectrificationOverhead wire
Route map

Legend
To Svilengrad, Sofia and Europe
Turkey/Bulgaria border
Kapıkule
Otoyol 3
Tundzha
Edirne
Edirne Wye
Tayyakadın
Abalar
Kırcasalih
To Pythio
To Thessalonika and Athens
Greece/Turkey border
Uzunköprü
Bayramlı
Edirne/Kırklareli border
Pehlivanköy
Kırklareli
Taşağıl
Otoyol 3
Babaeski
Mandıra
Sarıcaali
Lüleburgaz
Seyitler
Kırklareli/Tekirdağ border
Muratlı
Balabanlı
Çorlu
Otoyol 3
Veliçeşme
BARSAN Global Logistics
BARSAN Global Logistics
Çerkezköy
Çerkezköy Wye
Tekirdağ/İstanbul border
Çayırdere
Sinekli
Kurfallı
Kabakça
Çatalca
Hezarfen Airfield
Ispartakule
Marmaray Depot
Halkalı Depot
Halkalı
BARSAN Global Logistics
Kanarya
Soğuksu
Küçükçekmece
Menekşe
Florya
Yeşilköy
Yeşilyurt
Ataköy
Bakırköy
Yenimahalle
Zeytinburnu
Kazlıçeşme
Yedikule
Kocamustafapaşa
Yenikapı
Kumkapı
Cankurtaran
İstanbul
Dock Spur
Bosporus
Port of Haydarpaşa
Üsküdar
Haydapaşa
Söğütlüçeşme
Kızıltoprak
Feneryolu
Göztepe
Erenköy
Suadiye railway station
Bostancı
Küçükyalı
İdealtepe
Süreyyaplajı
Maltepe
Cevizli
Atalar
Kartal
Yunus
Pendik
Kaynarca
Tersane
Güzelyalı
Aydıntepe
İçme
Tuzla
Coşkunoğulları
İstanbul/Kocaeli border
Çayırova
Fatih
Osmangazi
Gebze

TCDD District 1 (Turkish: TCDD 1. Bölge) is one of the seven districts of Turkish State Railways (TCDD). The headquarters are in Haydarpaşa Terminal in Istanbul.

Except for the Kırklareli Branch and the Pehlivanköy-Uzunköprü line, the entire district is electrified with over head catenary. The district, at a length of 876 km (544 mi) track, operates part of the Istanbul-Ankara Main Line from Haydapaşa to Polatlı, the old CO main line (Istanbul-Uzunköprü), the Edirne Cut-off, the Adapazarı Branch and the abandoned Kırklareli Branch. The district also operates rail service to the ports of Haydarpaşa and the Port of Derince. The district operates lines from Istanbul to other towns and cities such as: Çerkezköy, Uzunköprü, Edirne, Kapıkule, Gebze, İzmit, Adapazarı, Bilecik, Eskişehir and Polatlı.

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The following is a list of railway border crossings of Turkey.[58]

# Name In province Open/closed since To country Counterpart Status Break-of-gauge
1 Uzunköprü Edirne 4 September 1953  Greece Pythion Closed (no train runs since February 2011
due to the economic crisis in Greece[citation needed])		 No
2 Kapıkule Edirne 1 April 1988  Bulgaria Svilengrad Open No
3 İslahiye Gaziantep 4 September 1953  Syria Ekbez Closed No
4 Al-Rai Kilis 4 September 1953  Syria Akhtarin Closed No
5 Akyaka Kars 4 September 1953-11 July 1993  Armenia - Closed Yes
6 Nusaybin Mardin 4 September 1953  Syria Qamishli Closed No
7 Kapıköy Van 7 October 1971  Iran Razi Open for freight only No
8 Çıldır Ardahan 30 October 2017  Georgia Kartsakhi Open for freight only Yes

See also

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West neighboring countries

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  • Bulgaria Bulgaria – open – 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) – 25 kV, 50 Hz AC
  • Greece Greece – closed – 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) – 25 kV, 50 Hz AC (no train runs since February 2011)

East neighboring countries

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Logistic centers

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TCDD is constructing 18 logistic centers to be completed till 2023 to increase the portion of railway in freight transportation.[30] These centers (also called as freight villages) will have railway connected container yards, cranes, warehouses, customs service and other facilities. These 18 logistic centers are: Halkali, Samsun-Gelemen, Usak (completed) Kosekoy-Izmit, Hasanbey-Eskisehir, Kaklik-Denizli, Bogazkopru-Kayseri (partially completed) Yesilbayır-Istanbul, Gökköy-Balikesir, Bozüyük-Bilecik, Kayacık-Konya, Yenice-Mersin, Sivas, Türkoğlu-Kahramanmaraş, Kars, Palandöken-Erzurum, Mardin (under construction)

Yards and depots

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TCDD owns and operates many facilities throughout Turkey. These facilities are; yards for storing freight and passenger cars, depots and locomotive shops for repair and maintenance and freight facilities for transferring or storing freight.

Güvercinlik Yard in central Ankara is the largest railway facility in Turkey. This multi-use facility includes a marshaling yard, passenger yard, 3 repair shops, for passenger cars, freight cars and locomotives, freight transfer terminal and a grain silo siding. The Haydarpaşa Yard is the second largest yard in Turkey, consisting of a freight yard, passenger yard, 3 maintenance shops for locomotives, passenger cars and freight cars, and a loop for trains.

  • Güvercinlik Yard in Ankara is the largest rail yard in Turkey.
  • Haydarpaşa Yard in Istanbul is the largest passenger yard in Turkey.
  • Etimesgut Yard in Ankara is the largest high-speed rail yard in Turkey (under construction).
  • Ispartakule Yard in Istanbul is a high-speed rail yard in Turkey (under planning).
  • Tüpraş loading facility is the largest freight yard in Turkey.
  • Halkalı logistics center is the largest multipurpose freight yard in Turkey (under re-construction).
  • Güvercinlik Maintenance Facility is the largest electrified maintenance facility in Turkey.
  • Halkapınar Maintenance Facility is the largest non-electrified maintenance facility in Turkey.
  • Eskişehir Railway Shops are the largest railway construction facility in Turkey.

Ferries

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Van Lake Train Ferry and Van terminal
A TCDD Train Ferry in Istanbul.

The Turkish State Railways own and operate two rail train ferries and connects to three others.

The most famous of these would be the Bosphorus train ferry in Istanbul. This ferry connects Haydarpaşa, on the Asian side, with Sirkeci, on the European side. [citation needed] Demiryolu and Demiryolu II are the two ferries that operate on the route and are owned by TCDD.

By starting the project of Marmaray, TCDD ended the Bosphorus train ferry and announced an alternative ferry for the freight trains passing from Europe to Asia or vice versa: Tekirdağ-Derince Ferry. It's a private ferry named Erdemir working as a subcontractor of TCDD. Ferry did trials in 2012, and had started regular transportation at the end of 2013.[60] Ferry has 5 lines with 800-meter total length.

The other train ferry owned by TCDD would be the Lake Van ferry, connecting Tatvan and Van via Lake Van, Turkey's largest lake. This ferry is a part of the only railway connection between Turkey and Iran, and thereby between Europe and India. Van is the name of the ferry that operates on the route and is also fully owned by TCDD.[61]

Other train ferries:

Network extensions and modernizations

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The Turkish State Railways currently has many network extension and modernization projects planned. TCDD is seeing the largest investment since the 1930s and with these investments is constructing new lines, primarily high-speed lines.

In addition to 5000 km high-speed line, Turkish Ministry of Transportation announced the construction of 4000 km new conventional rail lines as a part of 2023 strategy.[29]

TCDD has also been renewing the existing lines, some to be electrified, signalized and/or made double tracked. The budget for renewals and infrastructure of existing lines is more than 1 billion TL in 2014.[62]

There are also commuter rail projects (renewal or new lines) like Marmaray, İzban, Başkentray or Gaziray that are completed.

See also

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References and notes

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Notes

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  1. ^ Discontinued as of 2009[18]

References

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  1. ^ Invest in Turkey: Transportation and logistics
  2. ^ TCDD History – Trains and Railways of Turkey
  3. ^ "Hakkında". tcddtasimacilik.gov.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  4. ^ Tanıl Bora (2012). Tren Bir Hayattır. Istanbul: Iletişim yayınları. p. 114. ISBN 978-975-05-1064-9.
  5. ^ "Railway Turkey". sites.google.com. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Annual Statistics of the Turkish State Railways, T.C.D.D., available at http://www.tcdd.gov.tr/files/istatistik/20102014yillik.pdf
  7. ^ Annual Sector Report of the Turkish State Railways, T.C.D.D., available at http://www.tcdd.gov.tr/files/istatistik/2014sektorrapor.pdf
  8. ^ Land transport/Rail – Republic of Turkey 2006 www.abgs.gov.tr
  9. ^ TCDD ratios 1922–2005
  10. ^ Anadolu Agency. "Turkish railways posts record figures for 2019", 12 June 2020
  11. ^ Uysal, Onur. "Turkish Railway Industry Report 2013 – Passenger", Rail Turkey, 24 July 2014
  12. ^ Uysal, Onur. "First High Speed Train Set on Ankara Istanbul Line Arrived Istanbul", Rail Turkey, 26 July 2014
  13. ^ Uysal, Onur. "New Schedule for Istanbul-Ankara High Speed Train", Rail Turkey, 9 August 2014
  14. ^ Turkey's high-speed rail system will be complete by 2023 – rayturk.net
  15. ^ 2010 TCDD Statistics – tcdd.gov.tr
  16. ^ a b "TCDD: Destinations in the Middle East". tcdd.gov.tr. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  17. ^ "Turkey Closes Syria Border Crossings". The Wall Street Journal. 25 July 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  18. ^ Brosnahan, Tom. "Toros Ekspresi Adana – Konya". Turkey Travel Planner.
  19. ^ "Vagonları yenilenen "Toros Ekspresi" 16 Ağustos'da seferlerine başlıyor". www.rayhaber.com. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  20. ^ "Toros Ekspresi seferleri iptal edildi". www.rayhaber.com. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  21. ^ İstanbul Ulaşım: Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Transportation Services
  22. ^ "EGO Genel Müdürlüğü: Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Transportation Services". ego.gov.tr. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  23. ^ "İzmir Metropolitan Municipality: İzmir Metro". izmir.bel.tr. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  24. ^ a b Restructuring options for reform of TCDD, World Bank report 2003, hwtsk.com
  25. ^ Uysal, Onur. "Leading Railway Clients 2012", Rail Turkey, 16 December 2013
  26. ^ Uysal, Onur. "Leading Railway Companies In Turkey 2012 – European Traffic", Rail Turkey, 14 June 2014
  27. ^ Uysal, Onur. "TCDD Annual Statistics 2013", Rail Turkey, 23 October 2014
  28. ^ Uysal, Onur. "Leading Railway Companies In Turkey 2012 – Railcar Owners", Rail Turkey, 15 July 2013
  29. ^ a b Uysal, Onur. "2023 Targets in Rail Freight – Network", Rail Turkey, 11 July 2013
  30. ^ a b Uysal, Onur. "2023 Targets in Rail Freight – Logistic Centers", Rail Turkey, 5 December 2013
  31. ^ Uysal, Onur. "When Asia and Europe Will Be Connected?", Rail Turkey, 10 December 2013
  32. ^ Uysal, Onur. "10 Things to Know About Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway Project", Rail Turkey, 20 October 2014
  33. ^ Kars-Iğdır-Nahçivan Hızlı Tren Projesi (KIN)
  34. ^ Uysal, Onur. "Is Marmaray Key for Europe-Asia Rail Connection?", Rail Turkey, 12 November 2013
  35. ^ Port of Haydapaşa, tcdd.gov.tr
  36. ^ Port of İzmir, tcdd.gov.tr
  37. ^ Port of Mersin, tcdd.gov.tr
  38. ^ Port of İskenderun, tcdd.gov.tr
  39. ^ Port of Bandırma, tcdd.gov.tr
  40. ^ Port of Derince, tcdd.gov.tr
  41. ^ Port of Zongulak, Port statistics
  42. ^ AKPORT transport, akport.com.tr
  43. ^ a b c TCDD annual report 2008 www.tcdd.gov.tr
  44. ^ Uysal, Onur. "Railway Connected Ports of Turkey", Rail Turkey, 12 February 2014
  45. ^ Uysal, Onur. "Safi Kati Yakit is the New Operator of Derince Port", Rail Turkey, 9 June 2014
  46. ^ AYDIN-ÇİNE-YATAĞAN-GÜLLÜK RAIL PROJECT – dlh.gov.tr
  47. ^ a b c d TCDD Challenges Author: Lou Thompson, 3 May 2002 www.tgassoc.com
  48. ^ TCDD Statistics – Trains of Turkey
  49. ^ Hızlı Tren Hakkında Herşey (A Complete Reference to Turkish High Speed Rail) – by T.C. Devlet Demiryolları İşletmesi Genel Müdürlüğü
  50. ^ 2010 TCDD Annual Report – www.tcdd.gov.tr
  51. ^ 2007 TCDD Annual Report – www.tcdd.gov.tr
  52. ^ Difiglio, Güray & Merdan (2020), p. 130.
  53. ^ Uysal, Onur (23 October 2014). "TCDD Annual Statistics 2013". Rail Turkey.
  54. ^ "TCDD History, Electrification of the railways". Trains of Turkey.
  55. ^ a b c d Atack, Patrick Rhys (24 July 2023). "UK Government backs high-speed electrified rail in Turkey". Railway Technology. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  56. ^ a b BATRAK, OLEKSANDR (28 August 2023). "Operation of Turkey's High-Speed Electric Trains". Railway Supply. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  57. ^ 2019-11-12T06:00:00+00:00. "Turkey publishes 2020 rail plan". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 6 July 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  58. ^ "Sınır Kapıları Listesi HUDUT KAPILARI NEVİLERİN GÖRE-AÇIKLAMALI SINIR ÜLKELERİ" (PDF) (in Turkish). Interior Ministry of Turkey. 26 March 2013. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 September 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  59. ^ Railway Gazette International – January 2008 p51
  60. ^ Uysal, Onur. "Wagons On Board: Tekirdag Derince Ferry Departed", Rail Turkey, 11 November 2013
  61. ^ Turkey's Train Ferries – Trains and Railways of Turkey
  62. ^ Uysal, Onur. "Railway Investments of Turkey in 2014", Rail Turkey, 21 January 2014
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