Turkish State Railways
Encyclopedia
The State Railways of the Turkish Republic or TCDD is the government owned, national railway carrier in the Republic of Turkey, headquartered in Ankara
. The TCDD was formed on June 1, 1927 by the Turkish government to take over the administration of the existing rail lines within the borders of the Republic of Turkey after the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire
, and to build new ones.
The Turkish State Railways own and operate all public railways in Turkey. As of 2008, TCDD controls 10991 km (6,829.5 mi) of railways making it the 22nd largest railway system in the world. In 2009, TCDD carried 17,105,353 tonnes of freight and 7,118,699 passenger-km making it the world's 33rd largest passenger rail carrier
. As of 2009, the Turkish State Railways employs 25,593 people.
The Turkish State railways owns several other companies and holds shares in others. These are all companies that are involved with rail transport or that use rail transport. TCDD is a member of InterRail since 1994.
, which TCDD has a 50% share in, 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.
in İstanbul
on the southern mouth of the Bosphorus, the Port of İzmir on the Aegean Sea
, the Port of Mersin
and the Port of İskendurun on the Mediterranean Sea
, the Port of Bandırma on the Sea of Marmara
, the Port of Derince on the Gulf of İzmit, and the Port of Samsun on the Black Sea
. The railways has connections to the Port of Zonguldak, owned by TTK, the Port of Tekkeköy and the Port of Tekirdağ, owned by AKPORT AŞ. In 2004, the privatization of all ports except Haydarpaşa began.
The state railways are currently planning on building rail connections to the Port of Güllük (via Çine
) and to the Port of Ereğli, which TCDD used to service, until 2004.
The ports TCDD owns are the most important in Turkey. The country's 5 largest ports are owned by the state railways. The Port of Haydarpaşa will soon be decommissioned, when the Marmaray project is complete.
in Turkey is new, with the first service in 2009. The railways has branded their high-speed service to Yüksek Hızlı Tren
or YHT. YHT currently operates on two lines: the Ankara
-Eskişehir
portion of the İstanbul-Ankara high-speed railway and the Ankara-Konya high-speed railway, which opened in August, 2011. Prices between Ankara and Eskişehir are currently 30 TL
for business class and 25 TL for economy class.
The rolling stock used for YHT service are the Spanish-built HT65000 EMUs. These trains operate at speeds of 120 km/h (74.6 mph) within cities and reach speeds of 250 km/h (155.3 mph) on their dedicated track outside cities. These EMUs have 6 permanently coupled cars, with 4 economy class cars, 1 cafe car and 1 business class car. Economy class has 2+2 seating with power outlets, fold-able tables and private radio. There is a lavatory at one end of the car. The business class car has 2+1 seating, with power outlets, greater leg room, private radio, fold-able tables and steward service as well as LCD TVs in front of every seat.
High-speed rail in Turkey is still developing, with two lines under construction and many more planned. Once the line to İstanbul is completed, travel between Ankara and İstanbul will drop to 3 and a half hours, compared to 8 hours by car. By 2023, the Ministry of Transport expects Turkey's high-speed rail system to increase to 10,000 kilometers.
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 (62.1 mph) to 120 km/h (74.6 mph). The most express service is between İstanbul and Eskişehir with 8 trains daily in each direction. Express service also has over-night trains between major cities far apart (ex:İstanbul-Kars). These trains have coaches, a dining car and a sleeping car or a couchette car or sometimes both.
Blue Train service was the State railways premier express service, starting in 1979 between İstanbul and Ankara, with a blue DE24000
locomotive and custom built blue railcars. Today Blue Train service has become part of Mainline service and use the same TVS2000 rolling stock. Currently, there are 4 Blue Trains in service; between Ankara and İzmir, İstanbul-Adana, Ankara-Adana and Ankara-Malatya. All these trains are over-night trains. The İstanbul-Ankara blue train service was cancelled in 2000.
Passenger class service is the slowest mainline service, making local stops but not as many as regional service. Passenger service use mainly modernized intercity railcars and occasionally TVS2000 railcars. Passenger class trains used to run on more lines but today the only passenger class service is the Boğaziçi Express.
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 service because international services are considered mainline services within Turkey.
(Paris-İstanbul) and the Taurus Express
(İstanbul-Baghdad) operating in Turkey. Because of political issues and cutbacks on funding, international service has declined greatly from its former prominence. In 2010, international services made up only 0.3% of the railway's traffic. This was however an improvement compared to the previous years, where international train traffic in Turkey was at its lowest. In recent years, the State Railways has made efforts to introduce new international service. With this, in 2005, the Dostluk/Fillia Express was inaugurated between İstanbul and Thessaloniki
, Greece
. In 2010, the Mersin-Aleppo Friendship Train, running between Mersin
and Aleppo
, Syria
, was inaugurated as a seasonal train to improve relations between Turkey and Syria. However in February 2011, the Dostluk/Fillia Express was suspended due to cutbacks by TrainOSE
. The rolling stock used on international services usually consist of mixed cars from each country the train is traveling in. Rolling stock on European trains are usually TCDD's Intercity Fleet with a Romanian sleeping car and a Romanian coach, occasionally a Bulgaria coach is used. On Middle Eastern services, TCDD sometimes uses its TVS2000 cars or modernized intercity railcars as well as intercity cars. Occasionally cars from the Syrian Railways will be used on trains as trains are mainly all Turkish stock. Currently there are 7 international trains running; two in Europe and 5 in the Middle-east/Asia.
European trains begin and terminate at Sirkeci Terminall in İstanbul. Trains to Europe serve main cities in the Balkans
such as Plovdiv
, Sofia
, Russe, Bucharest
and Belgrade
. The two trains currently operating are:
Trains to the Middle East serve a number of cities in Turkey. The most prominent service today is the Trans-Asian Express operating between Haydarpaşa Terminal
in İstanbul and Tabriz
, Iran
. The currently operating services are:
Temporarily suspended international services are:
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 İstanbul-Halkalı Line on the European side of İstanbul, operating from Sirkeci Terminal
to Halkalı in 1955.
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 May 31, 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 June 1, 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 İstanbul
, İzmit
, Ankara
, Afyon, Adapazarı
and Konya
. On January 1, 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 Oriental 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).
. The first electrified lines were the Istanbul suburban lines on the European side, from Sirkeci
to Soğuksu, on December 4, 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.
On February 6, 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 Bulgaria
n 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.
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. 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%). By 2000, the cost to the Turkish government had exceeded $500 million per year in addition to a subsidy of over $100 million. 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.
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.
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
.
and 206 km (128 mi) of high speed lines, with 574 km (356.7 mi) of lines under construction. As of 2010, the railways consist of 763 tunnels, 25,441 bridges, 17 wyes and 7 loops. 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. TCDD also owns 3 rail ferries.
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. Below is a list of the main yards and depots used by TCDD:
and Van
via Lake Van
, Turkey's largest lake. Orhan Atılman is the name of the ferry that operates on the route and is also fully owned by TCDD.
The railways also jointly operate two more train ferries and connects to one:
and Europe
. Marmaray will play an important role in commuter rail as well. When the project is complete, an estimated 75,000 passengers will be serviced every hour, increasing rail usage in İstanbul from 3,6% to 27,7% ranking İstanbul's rail usage to third in the world behind New York City
(31%) and Tokyo
(60%). Marmaray will also include upgrading the line to three tracks and integrate with Turkey's high-speed rail network.
) Azerbaijan - no direct link - break-of-gauge
/ via Georgia under construction. Bulgaria - open - Greece - open - Georgia - under reconstruction - break-of-gauge
/. Iran - via Lake Van
train ferry
- same gauge Iraq - no direct link, traffic routed via Syria - same gauge Syria - open -
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
. The TCDD was formed on June 1, 1927 by the Turkish government to take over the administration of the existing rail lines within the borders of the Republic of Turkey after the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, and to build new ones.
The Turkish State Railways own and operate all public railways in Turkey. As of 2008, TCDD controls 10991 km (6,829.5 mi) of railways making it the 22nd largest railway system in the world. In 2009, TCDD carried 17,105,353 tonnes of freight and 7,118,699 passenger-km making it the world's 33rd largest passenger rail carrier
Rail usage statistics by country
This article gives rail usage statistics by country according to the International Union of Railways and other sources.-Passenger rail:All figures include passenger rail only, thus including suburban railways, but excluding metros....
. As of 2009, the Turkish State Railways employs 25,593 people.
The Turkish State railways owns several other companies and holds shares in others. These are all companies that are involved with rail transport or that use rail transport. TCDD is a member of InterRail since 1994.
Operations
The Turkish State Railways operate 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 are; İZBANİZBAN
İZBAN, sometimes referred to as Egeray, is a commuter rail system serving İzmir and its metropolitan area. It is the busiest commuter railway in Turkey, serving about 150,000 passengers daily. İZBAN is a portmanteau of the words "İzmir" and "Banliyö". Established in 2006 and began operations in...
, which TCDD has a 50% share in, operates commuter rail service around İzmir
Izmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
, 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.
Ports
The State Railways own and operate 7 ports throughout the country and has connections to 2 more ports. These ports TCDD owns are, the Port of HaydarpaşaPort of Haydarpasa
The Port of Haydarpaşa, also known as the Port of Haidar Pasha is a general cargo seaport, ro-ro and container terminal, situated in Haydarpaşa, Istanbul at the southern entrance to the Bosphorus...
in İstanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
on the southern mouth of the Bosphorus, the Port of İzmir on the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
, the Port of Mersin
Port of Mersin
The Port of Mersin , aka Mersin International Port , is a major port located on the north-eastern coast of Mediterranean Sea at Mersin in southern Turkey. It is the country's largest port...
and the Port of İskendurun on the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, the Port of Bandırma on the Sea of Marmara
Sea of Marmara
The Sea of Marmara , also known as the Sea of Marmora or the Marmara Sea, and in the context of classical antiquity as the Propontis , is the inland sea that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, thus separating Turkey's Asian and European parts. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Black...
, the Port of Derince on the Gulf of İzmit, and the Port of Samsun on the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
. The railways has connections to the Port of Zonguldak, owned by TTK, the Port of Tekkeköy and the Port of Tekirdağ, owned by AKPORT AŞ. In 2004, the privatization of all ports except Haydarpaşa began.
The state railways are currently planning on building rail connections to the Port of Güllük (via Çine
Çine
Çine is a town and a district of Aydın Province, in the Aegean region of Turkey, from the city of Aydın, on the road to Muğla.- Geography :Formerly known as Kıroba, Çine is an attractive rural district in the southern part of the valley of the Büyük Menderes River, on the southern flank of Madran...
) and to the Port of Ereğli, which TCDD used to service, until 2004.
The ports TCDD owns are the most important in Turkey. The country's 5 largest ports are owned by the state railways. The Port of Haydarpaşa will soon be decommissioned, when the Marmaray project is complete.
Rail freight transport
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. 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% each. International freight accounted for approximately 5% of totals in 2000.Passenger Operations
The Turkish State Railways operate passenger services on 90% of their system. These are intercity, regional, commuter and international services. In the railways 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. Today, the passenger ratio is slowly increasing with the opening of high-speed rail lines in Turkey. 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 of the Middle East.
- Regional (Bölgesel): Trains operating within their respective districts.
- Commuter (Banliyö): Commuter trains, currently operating in Ankara and İstanbul.
High-speed Service
High-speed railHigh-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
in Turkey is new, with the first service in 2009. The railways has branded their high-speed service to Yüksek Hızlı Tren
Yüksek Hızlı Tren
The Yüksek Hızlı Tren or YHT is the Turkish State Railways high-speed rail service currently operating on two routes; Ankara to Eskişehir with construction under way to İstanbul and Ankara to Konya, which opened in August 2011. The YHT uses the HT65000 EMU sets with tilting technology built by CAF...
or YHT. YHT currently operates on two lines: the Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
-Eskişehir
Eskisehir
Eskişehir is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. According to the 2009 census, the population of the city is 631,905. The city is located on the banks of the Porsuk River, 792 m above sea level, where it overlooks the fertile Phrygian Valley. In the nearby...
portion of the İstanbul-Ankara high-speed railway and the Ankara-Konya high-speed railway, which opened in August, 2011. Prices between Ankara and Eskişehir are currently 30 TL
Turkish lira
The Turkish lira is the currency of Turkey and the de facto independent state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The lira is subdivided into 100 kuruş...
for business class and 25 TL for economy class.
The rolling stock used for YHT service are the Spanish-built HT65000 EMUs. These trains operate at speeds of 120 km/h (74.6 mph) within cities and reach speeds of 250 km/h (155.3 mph) on their dedicated track outside cities. These EMUs have 6 permanently coupled cars, with 4 economy class cars, 1 cafe car and 1 business class car. Economy class has 2+2 seating with power outlets, fold-able tables and private radio. There is a lavatory at one end of the car. The business class car has 2+1 seating, with power outlets, greater leg room, private radio, fold-able tables and steward service as well as LCD TVs in front of every seat.
High-speed rail in Turkey is still developing, with two lines under construction and many more planned. Once the line to İstanbul is completed, travel between Ankara and İstanbul will drop to 3 and a half hours, compared to 8 hours by car. By 2023, the Ministry of Transport expects Turkey's high-speed rail system to increase to 10,000 kilometers.
Mainline Service
Mainline service is the railway's main service. In 2010 mainline services made up for 24% of the railways passenger traffic. Mainline service includes 3 types of trains: Express, Blue Train and Passenger.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 (62.1 mph) to 120 km/h (74.6 mph). The most express service is between İstanbul and Eskişehir with 8 trains daily in each direction. Express service also has over-night trains between major cities far apart (ex:İstanbul-Kars). These trains have coaches, a dining car and a sleeping car or a couchette car or sometimes both.
Blue Train service was the State railways premier express service, starting in 1979 between İstanbul and Ankara, with a blue DE24000
TCDD DE24000
TCDD DE 24000 are a type of diesel locomotive built for operations on Turkish State Railways by Tülomsaş. A total of 218 units were built between 1970-84 on license from Matériel de Traction Electrique of France...
locomotive and custom built blue railcars. Today Blue Train service has become part of Mainline service and use the same TVS2000 rolling stock. Currently, there are 4 Blue Trains in service; between Ankara and İzmir, İstanbul-Adana, Ankara-Adana and Ankara-Malatya. All these trains are over-night trains. The İstanbul-Ankara blue train service was cancelled in 2000.
Passenger class service is the slowest mainline service, making local stops but not as many as regional service. Passenger service use mainly modernized intercity railcars and occasionally TVS2000 railcars. Passenger class trains used to run on more lines but today the only passenger class service is the Boğaziçi Express.
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 service because international services are considered mainline services within Turkey.
International service
International service is operated jointly between the Turkish State Railways and another national rail carrier. Despite Turkey's geographical location as a bridge between Europe and the Middle east, international service is the service with the lowest passenger ridership. In the past, international service was much more prominent with two world-famous trains: The Orient ExpressOrient Express
The Orient Express is the name of a long-distance passenger train service originally operated by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. It ran from 1883 to 2009 and is not to be confused with the Venice-Simplon Orient Express train service, which continues to run.The route and rolling stock...
(Paris-İstanbul) and the Taurus Express
Taurus Express
The Taurus Express was a premier passenger train operated by Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits between İstanbul and Baghdad . Due to the War in Iraq, service has been temporarily suspended since 2003...
(İstanbul-Baghdad) operating in Turkey. Because of political issues and cutbacks on funding, international service has declined greatly from its former prominence. In 2010, international services made up only 0.3% of the railway's traffic. This was however an improvement compared to the previous years, where international train traffic in Turkey was at its lowest. In recent years, the State Railways has made efforts to introduce new international service. With this, in 2005, the Dostluk/Fillia Express was inaugurated between İstanbul and Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. In 2010, the Mersin-Aleppo Friendship Train, running between Mersin
Mersin
-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
and Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, was inaugurated as a seasonal train to improve relations between Turkey and Syria. However in February 2011, the Dostluk/Fillia Express was suspended due to cutbacks by TrainOSE
TrainOSE
TrainOSE S.A. is a railway company in Greece which currently operates all passenger and freight trains on OSE lines. The company, formerly a subsidiary of the Hellenic Railways Organisation , has been from 2008 an independent state-owned company...
. The rolling stock used on international services usually consist of mixed cars from each country the train is traveling in. Rolling stock on European trains are usually TCDD's Intercity Fleet with a Romanian sleeping car and a Romanian coach, occasionally a Bulgaria coach is used. On Middle Eastern services, TCDD sometimes uses its TVS2000 cars or modernized intercity railcars as well as intercity cars. Occasionally cars from the Syrian Railways will be used on trains as trains are mainly all Turkish stock. Currently there are 7 international trains running; two in Europe and 5 in the Middle-east/Asia.
European trains begin and terminate at Sirkeci Terminall in İstanbul. Trains to Europe serve main cities in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
such as Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
, Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Russe, Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
and Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. The two trains currently operating are:
- Bosphorus ExpressBosphorus ExpressThe Bosphorus Express, also known as the Trans Balkan Express is an international passenger train running between İstanbul, Turkey an Bucharest, Romania. It runs together with the Balkans Express until Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria where the later continues to Belgrade, Serbia...
- to Bucharest, RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
via Edirne, Dmitrovgrad, Russe and Giurgiu. Train number 81032/464 westbound, 81031/465. - Balkans ExpressBalkans ExpressThe Balkans Express is an overnight train operating between İstanbul and Belgrade, servicing cities like Edirne, Plovdiv and Sofia. The train connects with the Bosphorus Express at Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria and continues to İstanbul....
- to Belgrade, SerbiaSerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
via Edirne, Dmitrovgrad, Plovidv and Sofia. Train number 81032/492 westbound, 81031/491 eastbound. Connection to train #344 to ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
at Belgrade.
Trains to the Middle East serve a number of cities in Turkey. The most prominent service today is the Trans-Asian Express operating between Haydarpaşa Terminal
Haydarpasa Terminal
The Haydarpaşa Terminal or Haydarpaşa Station is a major intercity rail station and transportation hub in Kadıköy, İstanbul. It is the busiest rail terminal in Turkey and the Middle East and one of the busiest in Eastern Europe. The terminal also has connections to İETT bus and ferry service. The...
in İstanbul and Tabriz
Tabriz
Tabriz is the fourth largest city and one of the historical capitals of Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Situated at an altitude of 1,350 meters at the junction of the Quri River and Aji River, it was the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s, one of its former...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. The currently operating services are:
- Trans-Asian Express - İstanbul to Tabriz, Iran via İzmit, Ankara, Kayseri, Malatya and Van.
- Mersin-Aleppo Friendship Train - Mersin to Aleppo, Syria via Adana (Seasonal)
- Van-Tabriz Express - Van to Tabriz, Iran.
- Tehran-Damascus Express - Tehran, Iran to DamascusDamascusDamascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, Syria via Van, Malatya, Fevzipaşa, Aleppo, Hammah and Hims. - Gaziantep-Aleppo Express - Gaziantep to Aleppo via Çobanbey.
Temporarily suspended international services are:
- Dostluk/Fillia Express - İstanbul to Thessaloniki, Greece since February 2011.
- Taurus ExpressTaurus ExpressThe Taurus Express was a premier passenger train operated by Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits between İstanbul and Baghdad . Due to the War in Iraq, service has been temporarily suspended since 2003...
- İstanbul to Baghdad, Iraq since March 2003.Discontinued as of 2009 http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/trans/Train/toros_ekspresi.html - Gaziantep-Baghdad Express - Gaziantep to Baghdad since March 2003.
Commuter rail
As of 2011, the Turkish State Railways operate commuter rail in İstanbulIstanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
and Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
, with previous commuter service in İzmir from up to 2006, which is now operated by İZBAN
İZBAN
İZBAN, sometimes referred to as Egeray, is a commuter rail system serving İzmir and its metropolitan area. It is the busiest commuter railway in Turkey, serving about 150,000 passengers daily. İZBAN is a portmanteau of the words "İzmir" and "Banliyö". Established in 2006 and began operations in...
. The railways use the E14000
TCDD E14000
TCDD E14000 is an electric multiple unit used by the Turkish State Railways on their commuter rail services around Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. The 75 units were delivered starting in 1979 to supplement the aging E8000 units that were in use on the European Istanbul service, when the other commuter...
and the E23000
TCDD E23000
The TCDD E23000 series are Electric Multiple Units that were built by Hyundai-Rotem, with delivery beginning in 2009.The E23000s were built to replace the E8000 EMUs. They are operated by the Turkish State Railways for commuter service in Istanbul and Ankara and leased by İZBAN for commuter service...
EMUs on their commuter services. Previously, the newly retired E8000
TCDD E8000
TCDD E8000 is a three-car electric multiple unit operated by the Turkish State Railways on the Istanbul commuter rail service. The units were the first electric trains delivered to Turkey, using the newly developed 25 kV 50 Hz AC power system recently developed by Alsthom...
EMUs and the E4000 electric locomotives were used as well. The first commuter rail service in Turkey was the İstanbul-Halkalı Line on the European side of İstanbul, operating from Sirkeci Terminal
Sirkeci Terminal
Istanbul Sirkeci Terminal, also known as İstanbul Terminal, is a terminus main station of the Turkish State Railways in Sirkeci, on the European part of Istanbul, Turkey...
to Halkalı in 1955.
History
Baghdad Railway
The Baghdad Railway , was built from 1903 to 1940 to connect Berlin with the Ottoman Empire city of Baghdad with a line through modern-day Turkey, Syria, and Iraq....
, a holding company formed in 1924 by Turkey to take over some rail lines in Turkey, on June 1, 1927 and had control over the tracks of the former Anatolian Railway (CFOA) and the Transcaucasus Railway
Transcaucasus Railway
The Transcaucus Railway was the first railway in Caucasia. It was funded by the Russian Empire as a strategic railway connecting the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea. Caucasia was a land disputed between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire. The railway would allow the Russian army to have better...
line in Turkish borders. TCDD now had rail lines to the cities İstanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, İzmit
Izmit
İzmit is a city in Turkey, administrative center of Kocaeli Province as well as the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality. It is located at the Gulf of İzmit in the Sea of Marmara, about east of Istanbul, on the northwestern part of Anatolia. The city center has a population of 294.875...
, Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
, Afyon, Adapazarı
Adapazari
Adapazarı is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of Sakarya Province. The province itself was originally named Adapazarı as well. Adapazarı is a part of the densely populated region of the country, known as the Marmara Region. As of 2010, the city has a population of 560,876 ...
and Konya
Konya
Konya is a city in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. The metropolitan area in the entire Konya Province had a population of 1,036,027 as of 2010, making the city seventh most populous in Turkey.-Etymology:...
. On January 1, 1929, TCDD took over the rail line from Mersin
Mersin
-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
to Adana
Adana
Adana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
(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
Kayseri
Kayseri is a large and industrialized city in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It is the seat of Kayseri Province. The city of Kayseri, as defined by the boundaries of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, is structurally composed of five metropolitan districts, the two core districts of Kocasinan and...
in 1927 and Sivas in 1930. TCDD continued to acquire from the other rail companies; taking over the Mudanya-Bursa Railway
Chemin de Fer Moudania Brousse
The Chemin de Fer Moudania Brousse, , , or CFMB was a long railway line from the port of Mudanya to Bursa.-History:...
in 1931, the Smyrna Cassaba Railway in 1934, the Oriental Railway Company
Oriental Railway Company
The Oriental Railway Company or the İzmir-Aydın Railway was the first railway in Anatolia. The railway operated from 1856 to 1935 when TCDD absorbed it.-History:...
in 1935 and the Oriental Railway
Chemins de fer Orientaux
The Chemins de fer Orientaux was an Ottoman railway company operating in the northwestern Ottoman Empire. It served 2 main lines between Vienna and İstanbul with branch lines to nearby cities. The railway operated between 1869 and 1937...
in 1937. With most of the railways in Turkey under TCDD control, TCDD connected lines such as Kütahya
Kütahya
Kütahya is a city in western Turkey with 212,444 inhabitants , lying on the Porsuk river, at 969 metres above sea level. It is the capital of Kütahya Province, inhabited by some 517 804 people...
with Balıkesir
Balikesir
Balıkesir is the capital city of Balıkesir Province. Balıkesir is in the Marmara region of Turkey and has a population of 265,747 inhabitants. Old name is Karesi or Karasi.- History :...
in 1932 and the former SCP line in Afyon with the former CFOA line. In 1932 TCDD completed the railway to Samsun
Samsun
Samsun is a city of about half a million people on the north coast of Turkey. It is the provincial capital of Samsun Province and a major Black Sea port.-Name:...
heading north at Sivas. TCDD continued to build lines, reaching Zonguldak
Zonguldak
Zonguldak is a city and the capital of Zonguldak Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. Its population, according to the 2009 census, was 108,792. It is an important port on the Black Sea because of the coal mining in Zonguldak Province...
, Erzurum
Erzurum
Erzurum is a city in Turkey. It is the largest city, the capital of Erzurum Province. The city is situated 1757 meters above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 361,235 in the 2000 census. .Erzurum, known as "The Rock" in NATO code, served as NATO's southeastern-most air force post during the...
, Erzincan
Erzincan
-Trivia:Erzincan has the largest man made of Portrait of Atatürk, located north of the city, 176m×43m. It covers 7,500 square meter. Turkish Army made it 1982, in 29 days by 3,000 soldier, 100 tons of black and white paint was used...
, Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır is one of the largest cities in southeastern Turkey...
and Elazığ
Elazig
Elâzığ is a city in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey and the seat of Elâzığ Province. It has a population of331,479 according to the 2010 census, and the plain on which the city extends has an altitude of 1067 metres....
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
Gaziantep
Gaziantep , Ottoman Turkish: Ayintab) previously and still informally called Antep; ʻayn tāb is a city in southeast Turkey and amongst the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The city is located 185 kilometres northeast of Adana and 127 kilometres by road north of Aleppo, Syria...
(1955) and Van
Van, Turkey
Van is a city in southeastern Turkey and the seat of the Kurdish-majority Van Province, and is located on the eastern shore of Lake Van. The city's official population in 2010 was 367,419, but many estimates put this as much higher with a 1996 estimate stating 500,000 and former Mayor Burhan...
(1962).
Electrification
Turkey has chosen to electrify at the conventional 25 kV 50 Hz AC25 kV AC
The 25 kV Alternating current railway electrification system is commonly used in railways worldwide, especially for high-speed rail.-Overview:This electrification system is ideal for railways that cover long distances and/or carry heavy traffic...
. The first electrified lines were the Istanbul suburban lines on the European side, from Sirkeci
Sirkeci Terminal
Istanbul Sirkeci Terminal, also known as İstanbul Terminal, is a terminus main station of the Turkish State Railways in Sirkeci, on the European part of Istanbul, Turkey...
to Soğuksu, on December 4, 1955, and in the same period the E8000
TCDD E8000
TCDD E8000 is a three-car electric multiple unit operated by the Turkish State Railways on the Istanbul commuter rail service. The units were the first electric trains delivered to Turkey, using the newly developed 25 kV 50 Hz AC power system recently developed by Alsthom...
electrical multiple units were taken into use. The suburban lines on the Asian side of Istanbul, from Haydarpaşa
Haydarpasa Terminal
The Haydarpaşa Terminal or Haydarpaşa Station is a major intercity rail station and transportation hub in Kadıköy, İstanbul. It is the busiest rail terminal in Turkey and the Middle East and one of the busiest in Eastern Europe. The terminal also has connections to İETT bus and ferry service. The...
to Gebze, were electrified in 1969; while the Ankara suburban trains were electrified in 1972, on the line
Sincan-Kayaş Commuter Line
The Sincan-Kayaş Commuter Line or the Ankara Suburban Railway is the name of the commuter service between Sincan and Kayaş in Ankara. The line is owned and operated by the Turkish State Railways.- History :...
from Sincan to Kayaş.
On February 6, 1977 the tracks from Gebze to Adapazarı were made double track
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
and electrified, allowing the first main line operation of electric trains in Turkey. The line from Arifiye outside Adapazarı
Adapazari
Adapazarı is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of Sakarya Province. The province itself was originally named Adapazarı as well. Adapazarı is a part of the densely populated region of the country, known as the Marmara Region. As of 2010, the city has a population of 560,876 ...
to Eskişehir
Eskisehir
Eskişehir is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. According to the 2009 census, the population of the city is 631,905. The city is located on the banks of the Porsuk River, 792 m above sea level, where it overlooks the fertile Phrygian Valley. In the nearby...
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
Edirne
Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
, Kapıkule
Kapikule
Kapıkule is the Turkish frontier town in Edirne Province on the border of Turkey and Bulgaria. Its counterpart on the Bulgarian side is Kapitan Andreevo. Together, they are the busiest land border crossing point in the world and the busiest in Europe....
and the Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n border were also electrified. The same year the line from Divriği
Divrigi
Divriği is a town and a district of Sivas Province of Turkey. The town lies on gentle slope on the south bank of the Çaltısuyu river, a tributary of the Karasu river....
to İskenderun
Iskenderun
İskenderun is a city and urban district in the province of Hatay on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. The current mayor is Yusuf Hamit Civelek .-Names:...
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.
Performance, market share, assets and financial results
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%). By 2000, the cost to the Turkish government had exceeded $500 million per year in addition to a subsidy of over $100 million. 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.
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.
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
Tülomsas
TÜLOMSAŞ is a locomotive and wagon builder in Turkey. It is the main locomotive supplier of the Turkish State Railways and is one of the 2 companies that designs and assembles locomotives in Turkey along with EUROTEM. TÜLOMSAŞ is the largest company in Turkey in rail transport...
, TÜDEMSAŞ and TÜVASAŞ
TÜVASAS
Türkiye Vagon Sanayi Anonim Şirketi, more commonly known as TÜVASAŞ, is a railcar manufacturer based in Adapazarı. TÜVASAŞ is responsible for the construction, refurbishment and repair of railcars for the Turkish State Railways, and is a 100% shareholding of the Turkish State Railways, reporting...
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
Izmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
, and a 15% share in EUROTEM
EUROTEM
EUROTEM, alternatively Hyundai EURotem, is a joint enterprise between Hyundai Rotem of South Korea and TÜVASAŞ of Turkey which was founded in 2006 and started production in December 2007....
.
Locomotives
| Model | | Picture | | Numbers | | Built | | Acquired | | Type | | Power | | Builder (Designer) | | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE18000 TCDD DE18000 TCDD DE18000 are a type of diesel-electric locomotive built for operations on Turkish State Railways by Matériel de Traction Electrique. The order was a trial for a ligher version of the DE24000, and only five units were delivered... |
18001-18005 | 1970 | 1970 | Diesel Electric | 1800 hp (1320 kW) | SMTE | ||
| DE24000 TCDD DE24000 TCDD DE 24000 are a type of diesel locomotive built for operations on Turkish State Railways by Tülomsaş. A total of 218 units were built between 1970-84 on license from Matériel de Traction Electrique of France... |
24001-24418 | 1970-84 | 1970-84 | Diesel Electric | 2360 hp (1760 kW) | TÜLOMSAŞ Tülomsas TÜLOMSAŞ is a locomotive and wagon builder in Turkey. It is the main locomotive supplier of the Turkish State Railways and is one of the 2 companies that designs and assembles locomotives in Turkey along with EUROTEM. TÜLOMSAŞ is the largest company in Turkey in rail transport... (SMTE) |
Ordered for TCDD's complete dieselization of it's fleet. | |
| DE18100 TCDD DE18100 TCDD DE18100 are a type of diesel-electric locomotive built for operations on Turkish State Railways by Matériel de Traction Electrique. Based on the same platform and order as the DE24000, it was a light-axle version of the locomotive, very similar to the DE18000, though with a different wheel... |
18101-18120 | 1978 | 1978 | Diesel Electric | 1800 hp (1320 kW) | SMTE | Ordered for use in District 3. | |
| DE11000 TCDD DE11000 TCDD DE11000 is a series of diesel-electric locomotives used by the Turkish State Railways. The batch consisted of 85 units delivered from 1985. The first 20 locomotives were built by Krauss-Maffei, the remaining 65 on licence by Tülomsaş. There are two series of the locomotive, the first 15 having... |
11001-11085 | 1985 | 1985 | Diesel Electric | 1065 hp (780 kW) | Krauss-Maffei Krauss-Maffei The Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co KG or simply Krauss-Maffei is an injection molding machine manufacturer and defence company based in Munich, Germany... , TÜLOMSAŞ |
First 20 built by Krauss-Maffei later 60 built by TÜLOMSAŞ. | |
| DE22000 TCDD DE22000 TCDD DE 22000 are a type of diesel locomotive built for operations on Turkish State Railways by Tülomsaş on license from General Motors Electro-Motive Diesel, based on EMD G26CW-2. A total of 86 locomotives were built between 1985–1989.-External links:* *... |
22001-22086 | 1985-89 | 1985-89 | Diesel Electric | 2200 hp (1620 kW) | TÜLOMSAŞ (Electro-Motive Division) | ||
| E43000 TCDD E43000 TCDD E43000 is a series of electric locomotives used by the Turkish State Railways. The batch consisted of 45 units delivered in 1987 and used throughout the electrified parts of the Turkish rail network. The locomotives have a power output of 3,180 kW and are capable of... |
43001-43045 | 1987 | 1987 | Electric | 4260 hp (3180 kW) | TÜLOMSAŞ (Toshiba Toshiba is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and... ) |
||
| DH7000 TCDD DH7000 TCDD DH 7700 are a type of diesel-hydraulic locomotive built for operations on Turkish State Railways by Tülomsaş. The DH7000 was primarily used as a shunter. A total of 20 units were delivered from 1994.-External links:* *... |
7001-7020 | 1994 | 1994 | Diesel Hydraulic | 710 hp (522 kW) | TÜLOMSAŞ | ||
| E52500 TCDD E52500 TCDD E52500 is a series of electric locomotives used by the Turkish State Railways, comprising 22 class 441-9 locomotives leased from Željeznice Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine in Bosnia-Herzegovina. They are used throughout the electrified parts of the Turkish rail network... |
 |
52501-52520 | 1967 | 1998-2005 | Electric | 5180 hp (3860 kW) | Končar (ASEA ASEA Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget was a Swedish industry company. It merged with the Swiss Brown, Boveri & Cie in 1988 to form Asea Brown Boveri... ) |
Originally built in 1967 as class 441, acquired and overhauled by TCDD in 1998. |
| DH9500 TCDD DH9500 TCDD E8000 is a diesel-hydraulic locomotive operated by the Turkish State Railways . A total of 26 units were delivered from 1999 by Tülomsaş. They are a hydraulic derivative of DE11000 delivered in the 1980s.-References:*... |
9501-9526 | 1999 | 1999 | Diesel Hydraulic | 950 hp (700 kW) | TÜLOMSAŞ | ||
| DE33000 TCDD DE33000 TCDD DE 33000 is a type of diesel locomotive built for operations on Turkish State Railways by Tülomsaş. Based on the TCDD DE22000 it is designed by General Motors Electro-Motive Diesel. Total orders are for 65 units, with delivery starting in 2003.... |
33001-33089 | 2003-04 | 2003-04 | Diesel Electric | 3300 hp (2463 kW) | TÜLOMSAŞ (Electro-Motive Diesel) | Based on the DE22000. | |
| E50000 | ????-???? | 2013- | 2014- | Electric | ???? | Hyundai Rotem, TÜLOMSAŞ | Example |
MUs
| Model | | Picture | | Numbers | | Built | | Type | | Power | | Builder (Designer) | | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MT5500 TCDD MT5500 TCDD MT5500 was a series of diesel multiple units operated by the Turkish State Railways. The trains were used on intercity services, and offered higher speeds and comfort than steam powered trains. The DMUs were built in Italy by Fiat, and a total of 11 units were delivered in 1960-61.-External... |
5501-5511 | 1968 | DMU | 810 kW | Fiat Fiat FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli... |
||
| E14000 TCDD E14000 TCDD E14000 is an electric multiple unit used by the Turkish State Railways on their commuter rail services around Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. The 75 units were delivered starting in 1979 to supplement the aging E8000 units that were in use on the European Istanbul service, when the other commuter... |
 |
14001-14075 | 1979 | EMU | 520 kW | TÜVASAŞ (Groupement 50Hz) | |
| DM15000 TCDD DM15000 The TCDD DM15000 is TCDD's newest Diesel Multiple Unit series. The DMUs were built by EUROTEM in Adapazarı, Turkey. These DMUs operate on all diesel operated regional lines in western Turkey.... |
15001-15012 | 2008 | DMU | 650 kW | EUROTEM EUROTEM EUROTEM, alternatively Hyundai EURotem, is a joint enterprise between Hyundai Rotem of South Korea and TÜVASAŞ of Turkey which was founded in 2006 and started production in December 2007.... |
||
| HT65000 |  |
65001-65012 | 2009- | EMU | 4800 kW | CAF Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles is a rail equipment manufacturer based in Beasain in the Basque Country, Spain. Equipment manufactured by CAF includes light rail vehicles, rapid transit trains, railroad cars and locomotives, as well as variable gauge axles that can be fitted on any... |
TCDD High Speed train sets |
| E22000 | 22001-22033 | 2009- | EMU | CAF | Used for İZBAN İZBAN İZBAN, sometimes referred to as Egeray, is a commuter rail system serving İzmir and its metropolitan area. It is the busiest commuter railway in Turkey, serving about 150,000 passengers daily. İZBAN is a portmanteau of the words "İzmir" and "Banliyö". Established in 2006 and began operations in... commuter rail |
||
| E23000 TCDD E23000 The TCDD E23000 series are Electric Multiple Units that were built by Hyundai-Rotem, with delivery beginning in 2009.The E23000s were built to replace the E8000 EMUs. They are operated by the Turkish State Railways for commuter service in Istanbul and Ankara and leased by İZBAN for commuter service... |
23001-23033 | 2009- | EMU | EUROTEM | |||
| MT30000 | 30001-30012 | 2011- | DMU | 650 kW | TÜVASAŞ (Hyundai Rotem) | ||
| Marmaray EMUs | ????-???? | 2011- | EMU | EUROTEM | Will be used on the Marmaray project |
Passenger Railcars
| Model | | Picture | | Built | | Type | | Builder (Designer) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intercity Fleet | 1980-90 | Coach, Couchette, Diner, Generator | TÜVASAŞ TÜVASAS Türkiye Vagon Sanayi Anonim Şirketi, more commonly known as TÜVASAŞ, is a railcar manufacturer based in Adapazarı. TÜVASAŞ is responsible for the construction, refurbishment and repair of railcars for the Turkish State Railways, and is a 100% shareholding of the Turkish State Railways, reporting... |
||
| Regional Fleet TCDD Regional Fleet The Regional Fleet of the Turkish State Railways are a series of railcars used for regional or commuter service. These cars were used in Ankara, İstanbul, İzmir and Adana. Today, they are only used in Istanbul on the Haydarpaşa-Adapazarı Regional.... |
1972 | Coach | TÜVASAŞ TÜVASAS Türkiye Vagon Sanayi Anonim Şirketi, more commonly known as TÜVASAŞ, is a railcar manufacturer based in Adapazarı. TÜVASAŞ is responsible for the construction, refurbishment and repair of railcars for the Turkish State Railways, and is a 100% shareholding of the Turkish State Railways, reporting... |
||
| MT5600 TCDD MT5600 TCDD MT5600 branded as Sakarya is a series of 11 diesel railcars operated by the Turkish State Railways. They were produced by Tüvasaş.-External links:* *... |
1990 | Coach | TÜVASAŞ TÜVASAS Türkiye Vagon Sanayi Anonim Şirketi, more commonly known as TÜVASAŞ, is a railcar manufacturer based in Adapazarı. TÜVASAŞ is responsible for the construction, refurbishment and repair of railcars for the Turkish State Railways, and is a 100% shareholding of the Turkish State Railways, reporting... |
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| TVS2000 TCDD TVS2000 The TÜVASAŞ 2000 or more commonly known as TVS2000 is a series of intercity railcars built by TÜVASAŞ for the Turkish State Railways between 1992 and 2002. They were built in order to revive TCDD's failing image in the early 1990s, for use on the Capital Express... |
1992 | Coach, Diner, Couchette, Sleeper, Generator | TÜVASAŞ | ||
| MT5700 TCDD MT5700 TCDD MT5700 is a series of 30 diesel railcars operated by the Turkish State Railways. They were produced by Fiat of Italy and are closely related to the slightly older MT5600.-External links:*... |
1993 | Coach | Fiat Fiat FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli... |
Locomotives
| Model | | Picture | | Numbers | | Built | | Acquired | | Type | | Power | | Builder (Designer) | | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DH33100 TCDD DH33100 TCDD DH33100 were diesel-hydraulic locomotive built for shunting operations on the Turkish State Railways. 38 units from Maschinenbau Kiel were built starting in 1953. In 1980–81 the shunters were rebuilt with Cummins Diesel KT1150L engines.... |
33101-33105 | 1953 | 1953 | Diesel Hydraulic | 350 hp (260 kW) | MaK Maschinenbau Kiel Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH designed, manufactured and marketed marine diesel engines, diesel locomotives and tracked vehicles under the MaK brand name. The three primary operating divisions of Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH were sold to different companies in the 1990s.Rheinmetall acquired the military... |
TCDD's first diesel locomotive. | |
| E4000 TCDD E4000 TCDD E4000 was the first electric locomotive used by the Turkish State Railways, TCDD. The three units, numbered E4001 - E4003 were built by Alsthom and Jeumont in France. The units are currently disused.-History:... |
4001-4003 | 1955 | 1955 | Electric | 2170 hp (1620 kW) | Alsthom | Ordered for use of TCDD's first electrified line. | |
| DH44100 TCDD DH44100 DH44100 was a series of six diesel-hydraulic shunters bought by the Turkish State Railways from Maschinenbau Kiel in 1955. The units were very close to the DB Class V 65 used by Deutsche Bundesbahn.-External links:*... |
44101-44106 | 1955 | 1955 | Diesel Hydraulic | 800 hp (590 kW) | MaK | ||
| DE20000 TCDD DE20000 TCDD DE20000 were the first diesel-electric locomotive built for operations on Turkish State Railways. Five General Electric U18C units with Cooper Bessemer engines were built in 1957-58. All the locomotives are now retired from service.-External links:*... |
20001-20005 | 1957-58 | 1957-58 | Diesel Electric | 1800 hp (1320 kW) | General Electric GE Transportation Systems GE Transportation, formerly known as GE Rail, is a division of General Electric. The organization manufactures equipment for the railroad, marine, mining, drilling and energy generation industries. It is based in Erie, Pennsylvania. Locomotives are assembled at the Erie plant, while engine... |
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| DH6000 TCDD DH6000 TCDD DH4100 was a single diesel-hydraulic shunter built for the Turkish State Railways by Jenbacher based on Jenbacher DH600C.-External links:*... |
6001 | 1959 | 1959 | Diesel Hydraulic | 610 hp (445 kW) | Jenbacher Jenbacher GE Jenbacher is an Austrian manufacturer of gas engines and cogeneration plants. GE Jenbacher emerged from the former Jenbacher Werke, which was founded in 1959 and manufactured gas and diesel engines, and locomotives. The company was bought out by General Electric in 2003 and was renamed GE... |
Type DH600C | |
| DH4100 TCDD DH4100 TCDD DH4100 was a single diesel-hydraulic shunter built for the Turkish State Railways by Jenbacher based on Jenbacher DH400C.-External links:*... |
4101 | 1960 | 1960 | Diesel Hydraulic | 410 hp (300 kW) | Jenbacher | Type DH400C | |
| DH6500 TCDD DH6500 TCDD DH6500 was a series of diesel-hydraulic shunter built for the Turkish State Railways. A total of 40 locomotives were built by Krupp-Esslingen after 1960, based closely on DB Class 360. They were equipped with Maybach GT6 engines.-External links:*... |
6501-6540 | 1960 | 1960 | Diesel Hydraulic | 650 hp (480 kW) | Krupp Krupp The Krupp family , a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, have become famous for their steel production and for their manufacture of ammunition and armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th... |
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| DH27000 TCDD DH27000 DH27000 was a series of three diesel-hydraulic locomotives bought by the Turkish State Railways from Krauss-Maffei in 1960 as a possible alternative to the American DE21500... |
27001-27003 | 1961 | 1961 | Diesel Hydraulic | ???? | Krauss-Maffei Krauss-Maffei The Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co KG or simply Krauss-Maffei is an injection molding machine manufacturer and defence company based in Munich, Germany... |
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| DE21500 TCDD DE21500 TCDD DE21500 were diesel-electric locomotive built for operations on Turkish State Railways. Forty General Electric U20C units with GE engines were built in 1964-65. Most of the locomotives are retired from service.-External links:*... |
21501-21540 | 1964-65 | 1965 | Diesel Electric | 1580 hp (2150 kW) | General Electric | ||
| DH3600 TCDD DH3600 TCDD DH3600 were diesel-hydraulic locomotive built for shunting operations on the Turkish State Railways. 38 units were built by Tüvasaş under licence from Maschinenbau Kiel . In 1980-81 the shunters were rebuilt with Cummins Diesel KT1150L engines.... |
3601-3624 | 1968 | 1968 | Diesel Hydraulic | 350 hp (260 kW) | MaK | Based on the DE22000. | |
| DH11500 TCDD DH11500 DH11500 was a series of 15 diesel-hydraulic shunter bought by the Turkish State Railways from Deutsche Bundesbahn in 1982. The units were all DB Class 211 built by Maschinenbau Kiel. Some units still remain in service with TCDD.-External links:*... |
11501-11511 | 1960 | 1982 | Diesel Hydraulic | 1100 hp (810 kW) | MaK | Acquired from Deutsche Bahn Deutsche Bahn Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany... in 1982. |
Station architecture
Network
TCDD directly owns and operates 8697 km (5,404.1 mi) of common carrier lines, of which 1920 km (1,193 mi) are electrified, throughout 57 provinces. Along with this, the railways own and operate over 240 km (149.1 mi) of industrial linesIndustrial railway
An industrial railway is a type of railway that is not available for public transportation and is used exclusively to serve a particular industrial, logistics or military site...
and 206 km (128 mi) of high speed lines, with 574 km (356.7 mi) of lines under construction. As of 2010, the railways consist of 763 tunnels, 25,441 bridges, 17 wyes and 7 loops. The railway's fleet consists of 467 main line Diesel locomotives, 67 Electric locomotives, 860 passenger coaches, 135 MUs
Multiple unit
The term multiple unit or MU is used to describe a self-propelled carriages capable of coupling with other units of the same or similar type and still being controlled from one driving cab. The term is commonly used to denote passenger trainsets consisting of more than one carriage...
, 33 High-speed rail sets and 15,384 freight cars. TCDD also owns 3 rail ferries.
Yards and Depots
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
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
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. Below is a list of the main yards and depots used by TCDD:
- AnkaraAnkaraAnkara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
- Güvercinlik Yard
- Central Station Yard
- İstanbulIstanbulIstanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
- Haydarpaşa Yard
- Halkalı Yard
- Sirkeci Yard
- İzmirIzmirIzmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
- Halkapınar Yard
- Alsancak Yard
- DerinceDerinceDerince is a sea-port,town and district of Kocaeli Province of Turkey. The mayor is Aziz Alemdar ....
- Derince Yard - İzmitIzmitİzmit is a city in Turkey, administrative center of Kocaeli Province as well as the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality. It is located at the Gulf of İzmit in the Sea of Marmara, about east of Istanbul, on the northwestern part of Anatolia. The city center has a population of 294.875...
- Köseköy Yard - ArifiyeSakarya ProvinceSakarya Province is a province in Turkey, located on the coast of Black Sea. The river Sakarya creates a webbing of estuaries in the province....
- Arifiye Yard - EskişehirEskisehirEskişehir is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. According to the 2009 census, the population of the city is 631,905. The city is located on the banks of the Porsuk River, 792 m above sea level, where it overlooks the fertile Phrygian Valley. In the nearby...
- Eskişehir Yard - KütahyaKütahyaKütahya is a city in western Turkey with 212,444 inhabitants , lying on the Porsuk river, at 969 metres above sea level. It is the capital of Kütahya Province, inhabited by some 517 804 people...
- Kütahya Yard - KayseriKayseriKayseri is a large and industrialized city in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It is the seat of Kayseri Province. The city of Kayseri, as defined by the boundaries of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, is structurally composed of five metropolitan districts, the two core districts of Kocasinan and...
- Kayseri Yard - Sivas - Sivas Yard
- KarabükKarabük-Economy:Karabük has its own resources of dolomite and limestone, while coal and manganese is brought from Zonguldak and iron ore from Divriği. This allows a varied, yet basic industry in Karabük, including a coking plant, blast furnaces, a foundry and tube works. There are also chemical plants...
- Karabük Yard - MersinMersin-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
- Station Yard
- Dock Yard
- Afyon - Afyon Yard
- AdanaAdanaAdana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
- Adana Yard - SamsunSamsunSamsun is a city of about half a million people on the north coast of Turkey. It is the provincial capital of Samsun Province and a major Black Sea port.-Name:...
- City Yard
- Azot Yard
- MalatyaMalatyaMalatya ) is a city in southeastern Turkey and the capital of its eponymous province.-Overview:The city site has been occupied for thousands of years. The Assyrians called the city Meliddu. Following Roman expansion into the east, the city was renamed in Latin as Melitene...
- Malatya Yard - BandırmaBandirmaBandırma is a city in northwestern Turkey with 113,385 inhabitants on the Sea of Marmara. Also, Bandırma is a district of Balıkesir....
- Bandırma Yard
Ferries
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 İstanbul. This ferry connects Haydarpaşa, on the Asian side, with Sirkeci, on the European side. Demiryolu and Demiryolu II are the two ferries that operate on the route and are owned by TCDD. The other train ferry owned by TCDD would be the Lake Van ferry, connecting TatvanTatvan
Tatvan is a city at the western end of Lake Van, and is the regional center of the identically-named district within Bitlis Province in eastern Turkey. It has about 96,000 inhabitants. The mayor is Abdullah Ok .- Transport :...
and Van
Van, Turkey
Van is a city in southeastern Turkey and the seat of the Kurdish-majority Van Province, and is located on the eastern shore of Lake Van. The city's official population in 2010 was 367,419, but many estimates put this as much higher with a 1996 estimate stating 500,000 and former Mayor Burhan...
via Lake Van
Lake Van
Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country in Van district. It is a saline and soda lake, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains. Lake Van is one of the world's largest endorheic lakes . The original outlet from...
, Turkey's largest lake. Orhan Atılman is the name of the ferry that operates on the route and is also fully owned by TCDD.
The railways also jointly operate two more train ferries and connects to one:
- DerinceDerinceDerince is a sea-port,town and district of Kocaeli Province of Turkey. The mayor is Aziz Alemdar ....
, Turkey to Ilyichevsk, UkraineUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
- TCDD owns and operates the Port of Derince. - SamsunSamsunSamsun is a city of about half a million people on the north coast of Turkey. It is the provincial capital of Samsun Province and a major Black Sea port.-Name:...
, Turkey to Kavkaz, Russia - TCDD owns and operates the Port of Samsun. - ZonguldakZonguldakZonguldak is a city and the capital of Zonguldak Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. Its population, according to the 2009 census, was 108,792. It is an important port on the Black Sea because of the coal mining in Zonguldak Province...
to EreğliEregliEreğli is a town and district of Konya Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. According to 2009 census, the population of the district is 135,008 of which 95,056 live in the town of Ereğli.-History:...
- Operated by Alyans Tempo Group.
Network Extensions and Modernizations
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.Marmaray
Marmaray, meaning Marmarail is a project of the construction of a rail tunnel under the Bosphorus in İstanbul as well as upgrading the existing commuter lines in the city. This tunnel will connect TCDD's Anatolian system to its smaller Thracian system as well as create a direct route between the Middle EastMiddle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Marmaray will play an important role in commuter rail as well. When the project is complete, an estimated 75,000 passengers will be serviced every hour, increasing rail usage in İstanbul from 3,6% to 27,7% ranking İstanbul's rail usage to third in the world behind New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(31%) and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
(60%). Marmaray will also include upgrading the line to three tracks and integrate with Turkey's high-speed rail network.
Standards
- ElectrificationElectrificationElectrification originally referred to the build out of the electrical generating and distribution systems which occurred in the United States, England and other countries from the mid 1880's until around 1940 and is in progress in developing countries. This also included the change over from line...
- 25kV AC - Coupling (railway)Coupling (railway)A coupling is a mechanism for connecting rolling stock in a train. The design of the coupler is standard, and is almost as important as the railway gauge, since flexibility and convenience are maximised if all rolling stock can be coupled together.The equipment that connects the couplings to the...
- English (Buffers and Chains) - Brake (railway)Brake (railway)Brakes are used on the cars of railway trains to enable deceleration, control acceleration or to keep them standing when parked. While the basic principle is familiar from road vehicle usage, operational features are more complex because of the need to control multiple linked carriages and to be...
- air - Gradient - 2.8%
- Curve minimumMinimum railway curve radiusThe minimum railway curve radius, the shortest design radius, has an important bearing on constructions costs and operating costs and, in combination with superelevation in the case of train tracks, determines the maximum safe speed of a curve. Superelevation is not a factor on tramway tracks...
- 190 m (623 ft) - FasteningsRail fastening system-History and overview:The earliest wooden rails were fixed to wooden sleepers by pegs through holes in the rail, or by nails. By the 17th century cast iron rails had come into use, and also had holes in the rail itself to allow them to be fixed to a support...
- K-rail
Railway links with adjacent countries
Armenia - closed since 1993 (see the Kars Gyumri Akhalkalaki railway lineKars Gyumri Akhalkalaki railway line
The Kars–Gyumri–Tbilisi railway line is a railway line that runs from the city of Kars in Turkey to the Armenian city of Gyumri, then from there on to Tbilisi, Georgia....
) Azerbaijan - no direct link - break-of-gauge
Break-of-gauge
With railways, a break-of-gauge occurs where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, and freight and passengers must otherwise be transloaded...
/ via Georgia under construction. Bulgaria - open - Greece - open - Georgia - under reconstruction - break-of-gauge
Break-of-gauge
With railways, a break-of-gauge occurs where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, and freight and passengers must otherwise be transloaded...
/. Iran - via Lake Van
Lake Van
Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country in Van district. It is a saline and soda lake, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains. Lake Van is one of the world's largest endorheic lakes . The original outlet from...
train ferry
Train ferry
A train ferry is a ship designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train ferries are sometimes referred to as "car ferries", as...
- same gauge Iraq - no direct link, traffic routed via Syria - same gauge Syria - open -
See also
- Rail transport in TurkeyRail transport in TurkeyTurkey has a well-developed, state-owned railway system built to standard gauge which falls under the remit of the Ministry of Transport and Communication. The primary rail carrier is the Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları which is responsible for all long-distance and cross-border freight...
- Ankara Suburban Railway
- Haydarpaşa TerminalHaydarpasa TerminalThe Haydarpaşa Terminal or Haydarpaşa Station is a major intercity rail station and transportation hub in Kadıköy, İstanbul. It is the busiest rail terminal in Turkey and the Middle East and one of the busiest in Eastern Europe. The terminal also has connections to İETT bus and ferry service. The...
- High-speed rail in TurkeyHigh-speed rail in TurkeyThe Turkish State Railways started building high-speed rail lines in 2003. The first section of the line, between Ankara and Eskişehir, was inaugurated on March 13, 2009...
- Istanbul-Damascus-Medina Railway
- Istanbul-Konya-Baghdad RailwayBaghdad RailwayThe Baghdad Railway , was built from 1903 to 1940 to connect Berlin with the Ottoman Empire city of Baghdad with a line through modern-day Turkey, Syria, and Iraq....
- Kars-Tiblisi-Baku railway
- List of TCDD routes
- Orient ExpressOrient ExpressThe Orient Express is the name of a long-distance passenger train service originally operated by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. It ran from 1883 to 2009 and is not to be confused with the Venice-Simplon Orient Express train service, which continues to run.The route and rolling stock...
- Sirkeci TerminalSirkeci TerminalIstanbul Sirkeci Terminal, also known as İstanbul Terminal, is a terminus main station of the Turkish State Railways in Sirkeci, on the European part of Istanbul, Turkey...
External links
- Turkish Railways Company Website
- Turkish Railway Company (TÜVASAŞ) Website
- A Short History of Turkish Railways including maps
- Turkish Railways Company Workers and Retired Personnel Social Aid Foundation
- Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture - Ankara Railway Museum
- Republic of Turkey Ministry of Transport