Türkiye's Railway Transformation Explained

Over the past two decades, Türkiye has transformed its railway system on a remarkable scale. After decades in which roads dominated transport investment, railways are once again at the centre of the country's transport strategy. Türkiye is building new high-speed and high-standard lines, modernising conventional railways, expanding metropolitan networks, developing logistics centres and strengthening connections between Europe and Asia. In this video, we look at how Türkiye's railway network developed from the Ottoman period to the modern TCDD system, and what has changed since the major railway investment programme began in the early 2000s. We examine the rapid expansion of high-speed rail, including the Ankara-Istanbul, Ankara-Konya and Ankara-Sivas corridors, as well as major projects now under construction. We have already covered Türkiye's high-speed railway network in detail in a dedicated Railways Explained episode - you can find the link below. But Türkiye's railway transformation goes far beyond high-speed trains. Istanbul's Marmaray has created a continuous railway connection between Europe and Asia beneath the Bosphorus, while metropolitan and suburban rail systems now carry the vast majority of TCDD Taşımacılık passengers. Passenger numbers increased from around 136.0 million in 2021 to 272.8 million in 2025. We also look at freight, where Türkiye has even bigger ambitions. The country wants to use its geographical position to become a central part of the Middle Corridor linking China, Central Asia, the Caucasus and Europe. That means improving infrastructure, logistics centres, port connections, border crossings and the reliability of the entire railway logistics chain. At the same time, Türkiye is gradually liberalising its railway market and developing its own railway industry, with companies such as TÜRASAŞ producing locomotives, multiple units and other railway vehicles. So the key question is no longer whether Türkiye can build railway infrastructure. It clearly can. The real question is whether high-speed rail, conventional lines, metropolitan systems, freight corridors, private operators and international connections can become one coherent and competitive railway system. And Istanbul's railway story is far from finished. Our next video will focus on the planned Istanbul North Rail Crossing and what another railway connection between Europe and Asia could mean for passenger capacity, freight traffic and the wider Middle Corridor. Watch our dedicated video about Türkiye's High-Speed Rail network: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkKHScc1XL8 Watch our video about Marmaray: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiAAgzbcgNY If you enjoyed the video, don't forget to like, subscribe and turn on notifications for more railway stories from around the world. Railways Explained E-Book Our e-book featuring the first 100 Railways Explained stories is available now. If you enjoy deep dives into railway projects, infrastructure, and transport history, check it out through the link in the description. https://payhip.com/b/mTDPX Support Railways Explained Become a Patreon supporter, join our YouTube Membership, or subscribe to the channel to help us keep producing detailed railway analysis from around the world. Become a member on Patreon for exclusive content, behind-the-scenes access, and more: https://www.patreon.com/railways_explained Join our YouTube membership to support the channel and get special perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGq3OyOoLPYj4Oyk1DWnKxQ/join Donate via PayPal: PayPal.Me/railwaysexplained Check out our official merch and show your love for all things railway: https://railways-explained.creator-spring.com Subscribe for more in-depth railway stories and analyses from around the world. Big thanks to our Patrons: Walid, Mind K, An Oni Moose, Julian Baumann, Hendrik Hinrichs, Robert P. Walsh, Xosé F. Estrada, Mårten Hammarstrand, Lucas Richter, Korawich Kavee, Alex Zaslavsky, Ben M, Nathan Walls, Bill, Tim McKeoun, August Bigelow, Brendan McKeon, Linda Vainomae-Hoffmann, Linda Vainomae-Hoffmann, Reinforcedconcrete, Alex McDonald, Martin Pelles, Alice Conalbi, Declan Crowley, Martin Hinge, William Rohe #railways #türkiye #trains