Inter-city train services resume

ANKARA

Turkey has resumed high-speed train services between four provinces as previously announced.

At a ceremony in the capital Ankara on May 28, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoğlu called the move another important step in the country’s move towards normalization.

The high-speed train services will run between Ankara and Istanbul, Ankara and the western province of Eskişehir, Ankara and the Central Anatolian province of Konya and from Konya to Istanbul, a total of 16 times a day.

Food will not be served during the journeys.

Even though the trains will run at 50 percent capacity, ticket prices will not change, Karaismailoğlu said.

With the resumed service, masks, social distancing, and hygiene are all indispensable for the “new normal,” so wearing a mask at all stations and trains will be mandatory, he added.

People need to provide a special code to be obtained on an application developed by the Health Ministry and travel permit in order to buy a train ticket.

Turkey halted all train services some two months ago as part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The government has begun roll backing some of those measures as the spread of the virus slows. Shopping centers, barbershops, hair salons and non-essential stores have reopened.

The Transport Minister also said that Turkey will start service with its domestically made electric train as soon as possible.