Turkey to Boost Railway Investments in 2014

In a statement from the Turkish government, it has been announced that Turkey is to invest 5.5 billion lira in transport and infrastructure projects in 2014.

3.5 billion lira will be spent through Turkish State Railways (TCDD) and around 2 billion lira will be passed to the Turkish Ministry of Transportation, Maritime Affairs and Communications for its own railway investments.

TCDD will invest half its 2014 budget on the new high speed railway projects. The Ankara to Istanbul high speed railway has been delivered by the Chinese Railway Construction Corporation in the last week in the latest development of this major infrastructure project.

Turkey’s Transport Minister announced that instead of relying on foreign expertise, the country will be building its own high speed railways, the first to be completed in 2018.

The increase investments are part of the government’s “2023 Vision” programme which aims to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Republic through extensively modernising the country. 11 000 km of track will be laid in this time, as the country aims to be a global railway transport hub.