New route plan for 3 provinces on high-speed train line

Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu has announced the roadmap for extending the high-speed train line that currently reaches Sivas to Erzincan, Erzurum, and Kars.

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New route plan for 3 provinces on high-speed train line

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced the planned route for expanding the high-speed train network eastward in his assessment of ongoing railway investments in Turkey. Accordingly, the goal is to extend the high-speed train line that currently reaches Sivas to Erzincan, Erzurum, and Kars.

Blue and white high-speed train moving on an electric line. — The goal is to expand the high-speed train network in Turkey with new lines.

Uraloğlu stated that the construction of 4,850 kilometers of new railway lines is ongoing across the country, noting that these investments have reached a significant scale within the existing railway network. The Minister expressed that these projects hold strategic value not only for intercity transportation but also in terms of Turkey's international connections.

High-speed train stopped at a station in a snowy mountainous region. — The Ministry lists the electrification and signaling of existing lines as priority steps.

TWO-STAGE PLAN FOR THE EASTERN LINE

According to the information provided by Minister Uraloğlu, the process will proceed in two stages. In the first stage, it is planned to convert the existing line to an electric and signaled system. Following this modernization, it is envisioned that work will be initiated for a double-track high-speed railway covering Erzincan, Erzurum, and Kars.

Aerial view of a double-track railway passing through rural terrain. — Ongoing railway investments aim to increase the capacity of the existing network.

This is not just Erzurum's project. We are talking about a line that starts from Central Asia and Turkestan and goes through Turkey all the way to London.
— Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu

Uraloğlu noted that a certain stage has been reached in the project work, stating that the goal is to connect Erzurum, Erzincan, and Kars with a high-speed railway. The Minister's statement emphasized that the east-west railway connection is being handled within the perspective of transportation extending from Central Asia to Europe.

Aerial photograph of a train exiting a tunnel and moving on a railway line in rural terrain. — In addition to new lines, strengthening the existing infrastructure is also on the agenda for high-speed train projects.

The statements also touched upon urban transportation investments in Erzurum. Uraloğlu reported that negotiations are ongoing with the Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality for an urban rail system project. Stating that joint assessments are being made to implement the project at the right time and under the right conditions, the Minister said the goal is to offer the work to the service of the people of Erzurum.

Aerial view of a high-speed train moving next to a highway. — Railway investments are being addressed with capacity and connectivity goals in intercity transportation.

While details regarding the exact calendar and construction phases for the new route are expected to become clear in the coming period, the Ministry's priority will be to improve the technical infrastructure of existing lines and then include the eastern provinces in the double-track high-speed railway network.