Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu made statements regarding high-speed train projects at the opening ceremony of the Pamukova YHT Station and Alifuatpaşa Bridge Interchange held in the Pamukova district of Sakarya.
Minister Uraloğlu noted that 114 million passengers have been carried by high-speed trains so far, and stated that the YHT network will reach 27 provinces by 2028.
Critical Bottlenecks on Ankara-Istanbul Line Being Overcome
Recalling that three bottlenecks on the Eskişehir-İstanbul section of the Ankara-Istanbul YHT line were hampering operations, Uraloğlu said the 12-kilometer Doğançay Ripajı-1 section was put into service in 2022.
Uraloğlu, reporting that work continues on the T26 Tunnel and Doğançay Ripajı-2 variant, said: "Our T26 Tunnel, which is 5,587 meters long, is an important section that will allow us to reach 250 km/h across the entire high-speed train line in the Alifuatpaşa-Arifiye segment. Currently, trains can only travel at 55 km/h on the 9.2-kilometer conventional line. With the new 8-kilometer line we are building within the project, we will bypass this segment."
Noting that excavation work in the tunnel has been completed, Uraloğlu stated that superstructure, electrification and signaling work is continuing, and the tunnel will be completed in the first half of 2027. He stressed that this will cut travel time on that section from 20 minutes to 9 minutes.
Doğançay Ripajı-2 to Cut 23-Minute Journey to 4 Minutes
Uraloğlu noted that work is also continuing on the Doğançay Ripajı-2 Project, and said that once this section is completed, the 23-minute travel time will drop to 4 minutes.
Uraloğlu said: "When we complete these sections, we will have achieved uninterrupted 250 km/h speed on the line. Thus, with a 30-minute reduction, we will bring the travel time between Ankara and Istanbul below 4 hours."
