Turkey inks 340 mln-euro deal for 10 high speed trains with Siemens

ANKARA/MUNICH

The Turkish State Railways (TCDD) has signed a contract for 10 Velaro high-speed trains with Siemens, which submitted the most favorable bid in the tender.

In a statement on April 13, Siemens said the contract was worth around 340 million euros and also included maintenance, repair and cleaning of the trains for a period of three years.

With the contract, the Turkish Velaro fleet will grow to 17 trains, according to the statement.

“Our Velaro family is continuing to grow and write new chapters in its unique success story. With its capacity and comfort, the Velaro remains a benchmark for high-speed trains. In Turkey, the train can fully utilize all its strengths and is already proving this in daily operation. Our flagship is running here with 99-percent availability,” said Sabrina Soussan, CEO of Siemens’ mobility division.

In May 2013, TCDD procured from Siemens a Velaro D high-speed train-set. A Velaro was then taken from the production line and refitted for operation in Turkey and the train entered passenger service between Ankara and Konya in May 2015, according to the statement.

At that time, TCDD signed a second contract with Siemens, again the winning bidder of the tender process, for six eight-car high-speed trains.

The seven trains connect Ankara with Konya and Eskişehir and have already covered over five million kilometers in passenger service, the company added.