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Türkiye plans to expand its railway network to 14,913 kilometers in 2027 and nearly 17,000 kilometers (9266.5 miles) by 2029 as it steps up investments in rail infrastructure, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said Wednesday.
Speaking to Turkish news agency Anadolu about the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry's 2027 budget and upcoming projects, Uraloglu emphasized that investments would be accelerated, with priority given to railway connections serving industrial zones, logistics centers and ports.
“We will continue our investments to provide safe, comfortable, and environmentally friendly transportation services on our railways. In this context, we will increase the share of double-track railways in the total mainline network to 22% in 2027, 24% in 2028 and 25% in 2029,” he said.
Uraloglu said the ministry aims to complete several major projects in 2027, including the Ankara-Istanbul T26 Tunnel, Konyaray Phase 2 and Phase 3, the Mersin-Adana-Osmaniye-Gaziantep railway, the Polatli-Afyon section of the Ankara-Izmir railway, the Filyos and Cukurova railway connections, and the Halkali-Ispartakule project.
Outlining the ministry's longer-term targets, Uraloglu said the railway network would continue expanding over the following years.
“We plan to extend our railway network to 14,913 kilometers next year. We also aim to increase Türkiye's total railway network length to 15,989 kilometers in 2028 and 16,929 kilometers in 2029.”
Uraloglu said the ministry was also working to increase rail's share of passenger transportation, targeting 6.99% in 2027, 7.6% in 2028, and 7.65% in 2029.
He stressed that investments in high-speed rail infrastructure would remain a priority as part of efforts to provide safer, more comfortable and environmentally friendly transportation.
“We aim to increase our country's high-speed rail network to 3,244 kilometers next year, 4,098 kilometers in 2028, and 5,389 kilometers in 2029,” he said.
“We are continuously investing to expand railway infrastructure and develop the transportation sector. Expanding high-speed rail networks is at the center of Türkiye's railway investments in the coming period.”
According to Uraloglu, approximately ₺515 billion has been allocated to railway transportation for 2027, with funding projected to exceed ₺622 billion in 2028 and reach approximately ₺748 billion in 2029.
Uraloglu said the ministry was continuing efforts to develop combined transportation and logistics services in a free, fair, and sustainable competitive environment.
He added that projects were also underway to ensure the safe transportation of hazardous materials by road, sea, rail, and air.
The minister said railway line efficiency was expected to increase to 5% in 2027 and 7% in 2028, while efforts to expand freight transportation by rail would continue.
“We will increase railways' share of total freight transportation to 5.02% next year, 5.68% in 2028, and 6.28% in 2029,” Uraloglu said.
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