A Memorandum of Understanding to build a railway between Islamabad, Tehran and Istanbul was signed on the 25th December at bilateral talks between Pakistan and Turkey during Prime Minister Recep Erdogan’s visit to Islamabad. The 6500km railway will consist of 1900km through Pakistan, 2570km through Iran and 2036km through Turkey. It will further enhance the […]
Together with Azerbaijani Deputy Minister for Transport Musa Panahov, Turkish Minister of Transport, Shipping and Communications Binali Yildirim announced that the Baku - Tbilisi - Kars (BTK) Railway is on track for completion by the end of 2014. The route which negotiates the severe terrain between Georgia and Turkey and will go through the underwater […]
Amidst great fanfare the first ever railway tunnel linking Europe to Asia under the Bosporus opened on the 29th October. The project has been over 150 years in the minds of Turkish officials but actually began in 2005 due to financial and design limitations. Istanbul being in one of the most active earthquake zones in […]
Railway officials from Azerbaijan have said that the Asia to Europe link between Kars and Baku is on track for completion by the end 2014. The railway through Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan will carry up to 30 million tonnes of containerised and bulk cargo annually. A 4.3km tunnel between Georgia and Turkey will be one […]
The delayed railway between Baku via Tbilisi and Kars is important for European and Asian relations, the Turkish Premier Abdullah Gul said last week. Speaking to journalists he said, “We actively cooperate with Georgia and Azerbaijan to ensure that this railway is launched as soon as possible. Thus, we will revive an ancient Silk Way,” […]
The high speed Ankara - Istanbul line is unlikely to open on October 29th as planned due to unexpectedly hard rock in tunnels between Eskişehir and Istanbul. The line includes the world’s deepest undersea tube underneath the Istanbul Straits on the Bosporus. Minister of Transportation, Maritime Affairs and Communications Binali Yıldırım said on television “This […]
A trial run of the rail tunnel connecting the European and Asian sides of Istanbul under the Bosphorus Strait has been completed, carrying Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The tunnel is the deepest of its kind in the world at 56 m deep, and 13.6 km long. Prime Minister Erdoğan travelled on the first […]
A record tender for a total of 106 train units will soon be announced by Turkish State Railways. The tender, worth 6 billion Turkish Liras, will include the requirement to establish a train factory in Turkey and a 51% minimum local purchasing condition, according to Turkish State Railways, Director Süleyman Karaman. A number of international […]
Turkey is set to become a global hub for rail manufacturing over the coming decade, according to a report just published. Turkey’s strategic location places it central to infrastructure projects from North Africa, the Middle East and Europe, says analysis from Frost and Sullivan Rail Outlook Study 2013. While European projects have stalled due to […]
Transport Ministers from Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia are meeting in Kars to discuss the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project. Ministers will be brought up to date with the project, which will see a new 105 km branch railway and the reconstruction of a section of the Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Marabda railway in Georgia. Additionally, a centre to be built in […]
