TURKEY: The Ministry of Transport & Infrastructure has taken the first step towards development of a 500 km main line railway along the east of the country’s Black Sea coast between Samsun and the border with Georgia. The proposed route would run via the port cities of Ordu, Giresun, Trabzon and Rize before heading inland to Artvin and then back to the coast to reach the Sarp Border Gate near the Georgian port of Batumi. The ministry has invited domestic and international companies to prequalify for a contract to survey and design potential alignments. Up to 10 eligible companies are to be invited to bid in the formal tender process. The successful bidder will be required to determine the best geographical corridor for the railway and the optimal route within that corridor, taking into account factors including transport requirements, geological and geotechnical suitability, environmental impact, and land, construction and future operating and maintenance costs. The work would be required to be completed within 720 days. Click here for a map of the Turkish rail network Other projects The line is one of a number of railway projects planned for Turkey’s East Black Sea region which to date has no rail infrastructure. Already under construction is a 16 km, 16-stop light rail line in Trabzon, which is expected to be expanded to 32 km and 31 stops and could be integrated with the Samsun – Sarp line. Also planned is a high speed line linking Trabzon with Erzincan on the northern branch of Turkey’s main east – west rail corridor, which runs to Kars where it connects with the Baku – Tbilisi – Kars rail line to the Caspian Sea. An allocation for feasibility studies was included in Turkey’s 2026 investment budget.
TURKEY: The Ministry of Transport & Infrastructure has taken the first step towards development of a 500 km main line railway along the east of the country’s Black Sea coast between Samsun and the border with Georgia.
The proposed route would run via the port cities of Ordu, Giresun, Trabzon and Rize before heading inland to Artvin and then back to the coast to reach the Sarp Border Gate near the Georgian port of Batumi.
The ministry has invited domestic and international companies to prequalify for a contract to survey and design potential alignments. Up to 10 eligible companies are to be invited to bid in the formal tender process.
The successful bidder will be required to determine the best geographical corridor for the railway and the optimal route within that corridor, taking into account factors including transport requirements, geological and geotechnical suitability, environmental impact, and land, construction and future operating and maintenance costs. The work would be required to be completed within 720 days.
Click here for a map of the Turkish rail network
Other projects
The line is one of a number of railway projects planned for Turkey’s East Black Sea region which to date has no rail infrastructure.
Already under construction is a 16 km, 16-stop light rail line in Trabzon, which is expected to be expanded to 32 km and 31 stops and could be integrated with the Samsun – Sarp line.
Also planned is a high speed line linking Trabzon with Erzincan on the northern branch of Turkey’s main east – west rail corridor, which runs to Kars where it connects with the Baku – Tbilisi – Kars rail line to the Caspian Sea. An allocation for feasibility studies was included in Turkey’s 2026 investment budget.
Source: Railway Gazette
