TURKEY: Ministers formally inaugurated the 153 km Çerkezköy – Kapıkule section of the Halkalı – Kapıkule railway on October 9, representing the latest step in the creation of a double-track electrified main line from Istanbul to the Bulgarian border. The inauguration was attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Transport & Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu and Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement. The remaining section between Çerkezköy and Istanbul is still under construction. Once completed, the project will deliver a 200 km/h mixed traffic railway between Istanbul and the border at Kapıkule, mostly running on a new alignment, to strengthen passenger and freight connections between Turkey and the European Union. Construction The construction contract for the newly-opened section connecting the industrial centre of Çerkezköy with the border station at Kapıkule was signed on June 11 2019 by a joint venture of Salini Impregilo (now Webuild) and Kolin. The European Union provided €275m to support the project. Programme supervision was undertaken by TPF, Eptisa Servicios de Ingeniería and Eptisa Mühendislik ve Müşavirlik. The infrastructure includes 31 bridges, eight cut-and-cover tunnels, two viaducts, 114 overpasses and underpasses and 175 culverts. Edirne station has been modernised and three 400 m platforms added. Kapıkule and Çerkezköy stations have been upgraded, and new stations have been built at Lüleburgaz, Babaeski and Büyükkarıştıran. Inauguration Uraloğlu visited the newly completed Edirne station and its railway museum before the inauguration ceremony, which was held at Babaeski station at 13.30. Revenue-earning services began on October 10, including three pairs of non-stop trains between Çerkezköy and Edirne. The night trains between Halkalı and Sofia have been retimed to run over the new line. The opening brings Tekirdağ, Kırklareli and Edirne provinces into Turkey’s high speed network, increasing the number of provinces served by national operator TCDD Taşımacılık’s YHT-branded inter-city services from 11 to 14, according to Uraloğlu. During the opening ceremony, Erdoğan said ‘transport will speed up, logistics will be strengthened and the travel process will become faster. Trade and tourism will become even more vibrant. This will make a very significant contribution not only to the cities but also to the economy of Thrace and Turkey as a whole. I thank the wonderful people of Kırklareli for welcoming us so warmly. We are here to inaugurate a very important project. I also thank Marta Kos, the European Union Commissioner for Enlargement, for sharing our excitement.’ Freight capacity is a central objective The project is expected to improve access to European markets for manufacturers in northwestern Turkey. According to Uraloğlu, 86% of Turkey’s rail freight exports in 2024 passed along the Halkalı – Kapıkule corridor, underlining the importance of the route as the country’s principal rail gateway to the EU. Once all sections are operational, the ministry expects passenger journey times between Halkalı and Kapıkule to fall from around 4 h to just 90 min. Freight transit time is projected to decrease from approximately 8 h 30 min to around 3 h 30 min. Annual freight capacity is expected to increase from 1.5 million tonnes to 9.5 million tonnes, while passenger throughput is predicted to grow from 600 000 to approximately 3 million journeys a year. These are projections for the completed corridor, rather than the immediate effect of opening the Çerkezköy–Kapıkule section. Two unfinished sections The new and rebuilt Halkalı – Kapıkule corridor is 228.4 km long in total, with the construction work having been split into three sections. The Çerkezköy – Kapıkule section is 153 km long, while the remaining sections where work is ongoing cover the 67 km between Ispartakule and Çerkezköy, and the 8.4 km long Halkalı – Ispartakule link. The Halkalı – Ispartakule section includes 6.4 km of twin-bore tunnels constructed using tunnel-boring machines, 634 m of cut-and-cover tunnels and 1.38 km of open railway. The two main tunnel drives have been completed, with the remaining works intended to enable testing and commissioning. Completion has been targeted for the end of 2026, with the opening expected to follow in 2027. The Ispartakule – Çerkezköy section is being delivered separately by the Gülermak-YSE joint venture. The project has an estimated total cost of approximately €640m and is being supported by financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. However, construction has been affected by land acquisition and other implementation issues,. The opening does not mean that all existing railway infrastructure in European Turkey will become redundant. The 31 km Muratlı – Tekirdağ railway, linking the port area with the existing main line, is expected to remain in use, providing a link to Çerkezköy and Çorlu via the legacy route. Turkey: Freight won’t wait Turkey – Bulgaria reconstruction contract halted
TURKEY: Ministers formally inaugurated the 153 km Çerkezköy – Kapıkule section of the Halkalı – Kapıkule railway on October 9, representing the latest step in the creation of a double-track electrified main line from Istanbul to the Bulgarian border.
The inauguration was attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Transport & Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu and Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement.
The remaining section between Çerkezköy and Istanbul is still under construction.
Once completed, the project will deliver a 200 km/h mixed traffic railway between Istanbul and the border at Kapıkule, mostly running on a new alignment, to strengthen passenger and freight connections between Turkey and the European Union.
Construction
The construction contract for the newly-opened section connecting the industrial centre of Çerkezköy with the border station at Kapıkule was signed on June 11 2019 by a joint venture of Salini Impregilo (now Webuild) and Kolin. The European Union provided €275m to support the project. Programme supervision was undertaken by TPF, Eptisa Servicios de Ingeniería and Eptisa Mühendislik ve Müşavirlik.
The infrastructure includes 31 bridges, eight cut-and-cover tunnels, two viaducts, 114 overpasses and underpasses and 175 culverts.
Edirne station has been modernised and three 400 m platforms added. Kapıkule and Çerkezköy stations have been upgraded, and new stations have been built at Lüleburgaz, Babaeski and Büyükkarıştıran.
Inauguration
Uraloğlu visited the newly completed Edirne station and its railway museum before the inauguration ceremony, which was held at Babaeski station at 13.30.
Revenue-earning services began on October 10, including three pairs of non-stop trains between Çerkezköy and Edirne. The night trains between Halkalı and Sofia have been retimed to run over the new line.
The opening brings Tekirdağ, Kırklareli and Edirne provinces into Turkey’s high speed network, increasing the number of provinces served by national operator TCDD Taşımacılık’s YHT-branded inter-city services from 11 to 14, according to Uraloğlu.
During the opening ceremony, Erdoğan said ‘transport will speed up, logistics will be strengthened and the travel process will become faster. Trade and tourism will become even more vibrant. This will make a very significant contribution not only to the cities but also to the economy of Thrace and Turkey as a whole. I thank the wonderful people of Kırklareli for welcoming us so warmly. We are here to inaugurate a very important project. I also thank Marta Kos, the European Union Commissioner for Enlargement, for sharing our excitement.’
Freight capacity is a central objective
The project is expected to improve access to European markets for manufacturers in northwestern Turkey. According to Uraloğlu, 86% of Turkey’s rail freight exports in 2024 passed along the Halkalı – Kapıkule corridor, underlining the importance of the route as the country’s principal rail gateway to the EU.
Once all sections are operational, the ministry expects passenger journey times between Halkalı and Kapıkule to fall from around 4 h to just 90 min. Freight transit time is projected to decrease from approximately 8 h 30 min to around 3 h 30 min. Annual freight capacity is expected to increase from 1.5 million tonnes to 9.5 million tonnes, while passenger throughput is predicted to grow from 600 000 to approximately 3 million journeys a year. These are projections for the completed corridor, rather than the immediate effect of opening the Çerkezköy–Kapıkule section.
Two unfinished sections
The new and rebuilt Halkalı – Kapıkule corridor is 228.4 km long in total, with the construction work having been split into three sections. The Çerkezköy – Kapıkule section is 153 km long, while the remaining sections where work is ongoing cover the 67 km between Ispartakule and Çerkezköy, and the 8.4 km long Halkalı – Ispartakule link.
The Halkalı – Ispartakule section includes 6.4 km of twin-bore tunnels constructed using tunnel-boring machines, 634 m of cut-and-cover tunnels and 1.38 km of open railway. The two main tunnel drives have been completed, with the remaining works intended to enable testing and commissioning. Completion has been targeted for the end of 2026, with the opening expected to follow in 2027.
The Ispartakule – Çerkezköy section is being delivered separately by the Gülermak-YSE joint venture. The project has an estimated total cost of approximately €640m and is being supported by financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. However, construction has been affected by land acquisition and other implementation issues,.
The opening does not mean that all existing railway infrastructure in European Turkey will become redundant. The 31 km Muratlı – Tekirdağ railway, linking the port area with the existing main line, is expected to remain in use, providing a link to Çerkezköy and Çorlu via the legacy route.
Turkey: Freight won’t wait
Turkey – Bulgaria reconstruction contract halted
Source: Railway Gazette
