Turkey’s first high-speed train line begins operation

Erdoğan said during the ceremony that a high-speed line running between Eskişehir and İstanbul was also in the works, and that when they completed an Ankara-İstanbul line, they will have realized a 10-year dream.

By the end of 2010, an Ankara-Konya line should be complete, Erdoğan said, recalling the importance of this transportation project to his administration. “In this way, we’re spreading railroads across the country,” the prime minister said.

Erdoğan was accompanied by his wife, Emine Erdoğan, Transportation Minister Binali Yıldırım, Environment and Forestry Minister Veysel Eroğlu, the transportation ministers of Iran and Spain, representatives of other nations connected to the construction of the line, NGO representatives and many journalists.

The agreement signed between the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) and Spanish train constructor CAF is for 12 high-speed passenger trains. So far three have been completed and delivered to the TCDD. Two of them began running on the Ankara-Eskişehir line yesterday, and the other is still undergoing static and dynamic testing. By the end of 2010, the other nine trains will be delivered to Turkey. The trains feature the latest technology, with the ability to travel at up to 250 kilometers per hour; they cost 17.5 million euros each.

The high-speed trains also feature state-of-the-art equipment to deal with accidents. There are sensor systems to control speed and travel distance, and the trains are designed to prevent the cars from mounting one another in case of an accident.

There are 16 security cameras on the train, including in the engineer’s cabin, and a device similar to flight data recorders that can save critical information in the event of an accident. Four cameras will also capture images outside the train.

If the train operators become somehow incapacitated, a system known as “Totman” will stop the train safely. After the train begins to move, the entrance doors automatically lock. The vehicle also includes a GPRS module to convey information in the event of an accident, fire detection systems and many other safety features.

The high-speed train will travel between Ankara and Eskişehir, running entirely on electricity on a double lane track.