Ankara–Istanbul high-speed railway
The Ankara–Istanbul high-speed railway (Turkish: Ankara–İstanbul yüksek hızlı demiryolu), is a 562 km (349 mi) long high-speed railway linking Ankara and Istanbul in Turkey. The railway runs mostly parallel to the Istanbul-Ankara railway and passes through some of Turkey's most urbanized areas. The line hosts high-speed YHT train service with a maximum operating speed of 250 km/h (160 mph).
| Ankara–Istanbul high-speed railway | |||
|---|---|---|---|
A high-speed EMU set crossing a viaduct near Bilecik. | |||
| Overview | |||
| Status | Operational | ||
| Owner | Turkish State Railways | ||
| Locale | West Central Anatolia East Marmara | ||
| Termini |
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| Stations | 12 | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | High-speed rail | ||
| System | Turkish State Railways | ||
| Operator(s) | TCDD Taşımacılık | ||
| Depot(s) | Güvercinlik Yard | ||
| Rolling stock | HT65000, HT80000 | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 13 March 2009 (Ankara-Eskişehir) 25 July 2014 (Eskişehir-Pendik) 13 March 2019 (Pendik-Söğütlüçeşme) | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 561 km (348.59 mi) | ||
| Number of tracks | Double track | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
| Loading gauge | UIC standard | ||
| Minimum radius | 3 500 m | ||
| Electrification | 25 kV, 50 Hz AC Overhead line | ||
| Operating speed | 250 km/h (160 mph) | ||
| Signalling | ETCS Level 1 | ||
| Maximum incline | 16 ‰ | ||
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Construction of the railway began in 2003, with testing commencing in 2007. On 13 March 2009 the first section of the railway, a 209.4 km (130.1 mi) section between Ankara and Eskişehir, opened to revenue service, making it the first high-speed railway in Turkey and the Middle East. On 25 July 2014, the railway was opened to Pendik, an eastern suburb of Istanbul, and with the completion of the Marmaray commuter rail project, opened to Söğütlüçeşme in central Istanbul on 19 March 2019.