04.11.2026 19:31
At the TBMM KİT Commission, the 2023 and 2024 period accounts of the General Directorate of TCDD Enterprise were discussed and discharged. TCDD General Manager Veysi Kurt stated that with the tunnels to be completed, the Ankara-Istanbul travel time will decrease to 3 hours 30 minutes.
TBMM (AA) – At the TBMM Public Economic Enterprises (PEE) Commission, the 2023 and 2024 period accounts of the General Directorate of the Turkish Republic State Railways (TCDD) Enterprise were discussed.
TCDD DIRECTOR GENERAL MADE A PRESENTATION AT TBMM
TCDD General Manager Veysi Kurt, in his presentation to the Commission, said that Turkey is located at the center of economic and commercial activity between Asia and Europe and is a strategic bridge on a global scale.
Noting that railways have become an important part of international trade and transport corridors stretching from Beijing to London thanks to major investments and projects implemented in recent years, Kurt explained that with the investments they made, the railway line length increased from 10,948 kilometers by 30 percent to 14,272 kilometers, the length of signaled lines from 2,505 kilometers by 250 percent to 8,772 kilometers, the length of electrified lines from 2,122 kilometers by 259 percent to 7,627 kilometers, and annual railway freight transport from 14 million tons to 32 million tons.
Kurt recalled that they completed and put into service the 153-kilometer Çerkezköy-Kapıkule section of the 229-kilometer Halkalı-Kapıkule High-Speed Train Line as double-track, electrified and signaled.
Stating that with the completion of the remaining 76-kilometer Çerkezköy-Ispartakule-Halkalı sections of the project, passenger travel time between Halkalı and Kapıkule will fall from 4 hours to 1 hour 30 minutes, and freight transport time from 8 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes, Kurt said that at the same time the capacity of the railway line will approximately quadruple, annual passenger capacity will rise from 600,000 to 3 million, and annual freight transport capacity from 1.5 million tons to 9.5 million tons.
"WORK CONTINUES ON THE MIDDLE CORRIDOR AND DEVELOPMENT ROAD"
Kurt stated that with the railway infrastructure they have, they manage the traffic of 1,551 trains daily, and enable the transport of approximately 100,000 tons of freight, 40,000 high-speed train and 40,000 conventional train passengers, and approximately 1 million urban rail passengers.
Expressing that they continue to expand the railway network, modernize existing lines and strengthen the country's position in international transport corridors, Kurt said, "Our construction work continues on a total of 4,724 kilometers of new railway lines, including 4,390 kilometers of high-speed train and 334 kilometers of conventional lines, and our survey and project work continues on 3,985 kilometers of railway lines in order to create new transport corridors on the east-west and north-south axes."
Kurt stated that strengthening the railway infrastructure on the international transport corridors passing through Turkey, increasing the competitiveness of industrialists by transporting their freight by rail, and expanding logistics centers and connection lines are among the priority targets.
Noting that in line with these targets they are carrying out intensive work to strengthen the Middle Corridor extending along the China-Caspian-Turkey-Europe route in cooperation with relevant countries, Kurt reported that work on the Development Road Project is also continuing.
"WE HAVE RAISED THE DOMESTIC CONTENT RATE IN ELECTRIFICATION SYSTEMS TO 95 PERCENT"
Kurt also stated that they continue to make maximum use of domestic and national production opportunities in the construction of high-speed train, fast train and conventional railway lines, and made the following assessments:
"As a result of our work, we have increased our domestic content rate in electrification systems from 10 percent to 95 percent, our domestic content rate in signaling systems from 17 percent to 35 percent, our domestic content rate in railway superstructure from 11 percent to 95 percent, and our domestic content rate in railway infrastructure from 96 percent to 100 percent. These developments are extremely important in terms of showing the level reached by our domestic industry in our railway sector. In the coming period, we will continue to support domestic and national production, bring new technologies to our railway sector, and especially increase our domestic content rates in systems requiring high technology."
"WE WILL REDUCE THE ANKARA-ISTANBUL TRAVEL TIME TO 3 HOURS 30 MINUTES"
Following the questions and proposals of the MPs in the Commission, Kurt, in his assessments, reported that currently train operations on approximately 80 percent of the approximately 530-kilometer line between Ankara and Istanbul are carried out entirely in accordance with a speed of 250 kilometers.
Kurt, noting that with the commissioning of the Marmaray line after Gebze there is a slowdown, recorded that drilling operations in the tunnel construction continuing in Bilecik have been completed, and that with the commissioning of this tunnel, the Ankara-Istanbul journey will be shortened by 9 minutes.
Stating that in the Doğançay Ripaj Project a 13-kilometer mountain was tunneled for another tunnel, Kurt said, "There too, the total length of our two tunnels is approximately 7,600 meters. We have drilled all of it, only 350 meters remain. God willing, we will complete this in a short time as well. When we complete this section, it will also be shortened by approximately 19 minutes. With the completion of our 2 tunnels, we will reduce the Ankara-Istanbul travel time to 3 hours 30 minutes."
Kurt emphasized that the General Directorate prioritizes the macroeconomy before making a profit and takes into account social, strategic and military benefits.
Following the discussions, the Commission approved the 2023 and 2024 period accounts of the General Directorate of TCDD Enterprise.