‘Super-fast’ train to link Istanbul to Ankara in 80 minutes: Minister

ANKARA

The newly initiated super high-speed train project between Istanbul and the capital Ankara will cover 344 kilometers in approximately 80 minutes, Transport and Infrastructure, Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu has announced.

Though the current high-speed train between Istanbul and Ankara meets today's needs by reducing journey time to six hours, different transportation alternatives will be needed for the country's two most populous cities in the long term, Uraloğlu said in a televised interview late on March 6.

"Our urban landscapes are evolving; we gauge their pulse and adapt accordingly. Though presently adequate, the current train between Istanbul and Ankara will inevitably fall short in a decade,” he said.

"With this new super-fast train, the travel time between Istanbul and Ankara will decrease to 80 minutes. Our country will move to the next level of technology with this train. The speed of the super-fast train will be 350 km/h."

The minister stated that the project' will be completed on paper by 2028, and the train will be put into service by 2035.

Uraloğlu also mentioned that four new airports will be constructed in the country.