04.03.2026 20:30
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, who met with workers at the Delice-Çorum construction site of the Ankara-Kırıkkale-Çorum-Samsun High-Speed Train Line during iftar, noted that the travel time between Ankara and Çorum will be reduced to 1 hour and 20 minutes with the high-speed train connection. Minister Uraloğlu also stated that with the completion of the Çorum-Merzifon-Samsun sections, the travel time between Ankara and Samsun will be 2.5 hours, and that 12 million passengers and 14 million tons of cargo will be transported annually.
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu made a statement regarding the Delice-Çorum section of the Ankara-Kırıkkale-Çorum-Samsun High-Speed Train Line. Minister Uraloğlu stated that the overall physical progress in this section has approached 25%. Minister Uraloğlu said, "When our line is completed, a continuous high-speed train connection will be established between Ankara-Kırıkkale-Çorum, and the travel time between Çorum and Ankara will be 1 hour and 20 minutes."
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu met with workers at the construction site of the Ankara-Kırıkkale-Çorum-Samsun High-Speed Train Line during iftar. Uraloğlu inspected the ongoing works on the line before iftar.
3,000 KILOMETERS ADDED TO RAILWAYS SINCE 2002 Minister Uraloğlu emphasized that they have initiated a new era in railways under the leadership of President Erdoğan to turn the opportunities provided by Turkey's geographical location, which serves as a bridge between Asia and Europe, into economic and commercial advantages. In his statement, Minister Uraloğlu said:
"In 2002, our railway length was approximately 11,000 kilometers; we added approximately 3,000 kilometers, including 2,251 kilometers of YHT, raising it to 13,919 kilometers. Together with our line that brings us together; we are continuing the construction of very important railway projects such as Halkalı-Kapıkule, Ankara-İzmir, Bandırma-Bursa-Yenişehir-Osmaneli, Mersin-Adana-Osmaniye-Gaziantep, and Yerköy-Kayseri High-Speed Train Lines. Additionally, the Ankara-Istanbul Super High-Speed Train Line project is also on our agenda... We plan to reduce the travel time between Ankara and Istanbul to 80 minutes with our trains that reach speeds of 350 kilometers per hour."
NORTH CIRCUMFERENCE RAILWAY PROJECT In addition, Uraloğlu stated that other major projects that will multiply Turkey's logistics capacity are progressing rapidly, saying, "We are on the verge of a new historical step, especially with the North Circumference Railway Project. This strategic line, which will pass through the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, will start from Gebze and continue through Sabiha Gökçen Airport, the bridge, Istanbul Airport, and Çatalca. This line, which is 125 kilometers long, will relieve the freight and passenger traffic on Marmaray and will directly connect Istanbul's two major airports by rail for the first time."
Uraloğlu also expressed that the project has received great interest on the international stage, stating, "We have reached a preliminary agreement with six prestigious financial institutions, including the World Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, OPEC International Development Fund, and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. This agreement, which will provide a total of 6.75 billion dollars in financing, also carries the title of Turkey's largest externally financed railway project. The tender announcement was published in the Official Gazette last week. We aim to deliver the site and start construction works within this year after the tender process."
Minister Uraloğlu, along with General Director of Highways Ahmet Gülşen and General Director of TCDD Veysi Kurt, inspected the works on the Ankara-Kırıkkale-Delice Highway and the Ankara-Kırıkkale (Delice)-Çorum-Samsun High-Speed Train line from the air. Minister Uraloğlu also stated that with the completion of the line, they will reach a capacity of 33 million passengers and 30 million tons of freight transport per year, expressing that the line will open a new era in railway transportation between Asia and Europe.
2 HOURS 15 MINUTES FROM BURSA TO ANKARA, 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES TO ISTANBUL Minister Uraloğlu stated that they have now started the countdown for the Bandırma–Bursa–Yenişehir–Osmaneli High-Speed Train Line, saying, "We have completed excavation-filling, tunnel, and construction works in the 106-kilometer section of the Bursa–Osmaneli segment; we have reached 90% completion in superstructure works. God willing, we will complete this section in the second half of this year, connecting Bursa directly to the Ankara–Istanbul High-Speed Train network."
Uraloğlu expressed that this will make it possible to travel from Bursa to Ankara in 2 hours and 15 minutes, and to Istanbul in 1 hour and 15 minutes, stating that they plan to open the remaining sections on the Bandırma side in 2028.
Uraloğlu noted that they are continuing to strengthen international railway connections through the construction of new lines, infrastructure development, and modernization works at full speed, and continued his remarks as follows:
"We are bringing new lines into service to support the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway Line, which we opened in 2017. Our 224-kilometer Kars-Iğdır-Aralık-Dilucu Railway project, which supports the Zengezur Corridor that will open a second gate in our country through the Middle Corridor, is also progressing successfully. We are also continuing our international cooperation efforts in the Development Road project, which will transport goods from China, East Asia, and India to Europe via the FAW Port in the Persian Gulf. With the Development Road Project, which we refer to as the New Silk Road, we will further strengthen our country's economic and geopolitical status."
THE FIRST HIGH-SPEED TRAIN PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION PROJECT TO THE NORTH OF TURKEY Uraloğlu stated that the Kırıkkale-Çorum-Samsun Line will go down in history as the first high-speed train passenger transportation project to the north of Turkey when considered from the center of Ankara, saying, "For many years, our Ankara-Konya and Konya-Karaman high-speed train lines have been serving our citizens. The construction works of our high-speed train lines continuing from these lines, Karaman-Ulukışla and Mersin-Adana-Osmaniye-Gaziantep, are also ongoing. With your efforts, this line, which is progressing, is not just a transportation route extending from Ankara to Samsun and the Black Sea, but it is rising as a civilization bridge that will strengthen our brotherhood, alleviate our longing for home, and increase the prosperity of our region."
PHYSICAL PROGRESS AT 25% Uraloğlu explained that the line will share and alleviate the burden of increased traffic density along the Kırıkkale, Delice, and Çorum routes during religious holidays such as Ramadan Bayramı, when spirituality reaches its peak. Uraloğlu continued his remarks as follows:
"Starting from Delice, the new high-speed train line, which will reach Samsun by passing through Çorum and Merzifon, has a 120-kilometer Delice - Çorum section; we are bringing it to life by working day and night with 3,000 personnel and 850 machines. As of today, our overall physical progress in this phase has approached 25%. We have achieved 87% completion by excavating 27.61 million cubic meters in excavation works. We have made approximately 19% progress in a total of 9,507 meters across 8 tunnels. We are continuing our construction works on 13 of the 31 bridges.
We continue our work on overpasses, underpasses, and culverts without slowing down. When this line, planned to accommodate speeds of 200 km/h, is completed, a seamless high-speed train connection will be established between Ankara-Kırıkkale-Çorum, and the travel time between Çorum and Ankara will be 1 hour and 20 minutes. Additionally, we have included the section between Çorum and Samsun in this year's investment program. God willing, we plan to hold the construction tender for it within the year."
"THE TRAVEL TIME BETWEEN ANKARA AND SAMSUN WILL BE 2.5 HOURS Uraloğlu stated that with the completion of the Çorum-Merzifon-Samsun sections, the travel time between Ankara and Samsun will be 2.5 hours, and 12 million passengers and 14 million tons of cargo will be transported annually. Uraloğlu said, "Çorum will be connected to the railway network for the first time; a strong logistics axis will be established between the Black Sea, Central Anatolia, and Mediterranean basins, leading to a significant increase in regional development and cargo transportation capacity. Furthermore, this railway corridor connecting Samsun Port and Mersin Port will also alleviate the cargo traffic over the Istanbul and Çanakkale straits, making Turkey a logistics superpower in global trade."
ANKARA-KIRIKKALE-DELİCE HIGHWAY WORKS Minister Uraloğlu expressed that they had the opportunity to observe the Ankara-Kırıkkale-Delice Highway and the Delice-Çorum High-Speed Train Line from the air, and continued his remarks as follows:
"Our manufacturing on the field has now taken shape. The way has been opened for our road. As they say, the light at the end of the tunnel has started to be seen. There is diligent work being done. We are carrying out our work along the entire route with approximately 1,000 construction machines and about 2,500 worker brothers on our Ankara-Kırıkkale-Delice Highway. We have seen the complete 120 km of highway and 120 km of railway today with our friends; we are in good condition and continue on our way."
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