10.06.2026 11:50
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu announced that with the completion of ongoing projects on the Ankara-Istanbul High Speed Train line, travel time will decrease by 30 minutes to 3 hours and 37 minutes.
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu made a written statement regarding the T26 Tunnel and Doğançay Ripajı-2 projects, which continue under the responsibility of the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) Directorate General on the Ankara-Istanbul YHT line. Minister Uraloğlu stated, "When our ongoing work on the line is completed, the journey between Ankara and Istanbul via YHT, which currently takes 4 hours and 7 minutes, will be reduced to 3 hours and 37 minutes."
"WE WILL COMPLETELY ELIMINATE THE BOTTLENECKS" Reminding that there are three critical sections experiencing bottlenecks on the Eskişehir-Istanbul route within the scope of the Ankara-Istanbul YHT line, Minister Uraloğlu noted that the 12-kilometer Doğançay Ripajı-1 section was put into service in 2022, and said, "Now, by completing the T26 Tunnel and Doğançay Ripajı-2 sections, we will completely eliminate the bottlenecks on the Ankara-Istanbul YHT line."
"LINE INTEGRITY WILL BE ENSURED AT 250 KILOMETERS PER HOUR SPEED" Pointing out that with the T26 Tunnel, they will ensure line integrity suitable for an operating speed of 250 kilometers per hour on the Alifuatpaşa-Arifiye section of the Ankara-Istanbul YHT line, Minister Uraloğlu included the following statements in his announcement:
"In the current situation, we are bypassing the section where our high-speed trains have to travel on an approximately 9.2-kilometer conventional line at an average speed of 55 kilometers per hour with the 8-kilometer T26 Tunnel. The travel time between Bozüyük and Bilecik will decrease by 11 minutes to 9 minutes after T26. Additionally, we will reduce delays caused by train meetings due to the single-track connection and also remove operational constraints on freight trains. We have completed the infrastructure work for the 5,587-meter tunnel. We continue with superstructure, electrification, and signaling works."
Stating that the Doğançay Ripajı-2 project is also one of the most critical sections on the Ankara-Istanbul YHT line, Minister Uraloğlu reported that within the scope of the project, a total of 7,544 meters of tunnel, 3,795 meters of safety tunnel, and approximately 795 meters of viaduct have been constructed. Minister Uraloğlu said, "With the completion of Doğançay Ripajı-2, travel time in this section will decrease from 23 minutes to 4 minutes. Thus, a total gain of 19 minutes will be achieved on the Ankara-Istanbul YHT line."