Over 11.2 Million Passengers Traveled on the Istanbul-Konya High-Speed Rail Line in 10 Years
Foreks - The Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, reported that 11.2 million passengers have traveled on the Istanbul-Konya High-Speed Train (YHT) Line over the past 10 years. Minister Uraloğlu stated, “In 2024, we served 1 million 469 thousand people.”
Uraloğlu recalled that the Istanbul-Konya YHT Line, which is operated by TCDD Taşımacılık, was put into service on December 18, 2014. He remarked, “Our line connecting the two ancient cities, inaugurated by our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is now 10 years old. Since its opening, the Istanbul-Konya YHT Line has provided our 11.2 million passengers with fast, safe, and comfortable transportation."
Average of 4,300 Passengers Per Day
Minister Uraloğlu reminded that the travel time between Istanbul and Konya was reduced from 13 hours to 4 hours and 50 minutes with the introduction of the line. He stated, “Our Konya-Istanbul YHT line, which is 644 kilometers long, operates 8 round trips daily. On average, over 4,300 passengers are transported daily, and we set a new daily passenger record on May 27, 2023, with 6,657 passengers. In 2024, 1 million 469 thousand people traveled on this line.”
Uraloğlu pointed out that the Konya-Istanbul YHT line, which facilitates the lives of citizens living along this route and allows them to save time during travels, has 11 stations. He said, “This line connects Konya, Eskişehir, Bilecik, Sakarya, Kocaeli, and Istanbul, and it also stops at 3 stations, Pendik, Bostancı, and Söğütlüçeşme, on the Anatolian side of Istanbul, totaling 11 stations.”
Combining Transportation Brings Cities Closer
Uraloğlu noted that passengers traveling on the high-speed train can also reach points that the line has not yet reached with bus connections. He remarked, “This way, a citizen using the high-speed train can travel from Konya to Eskişehir-Bursa in 4 hours and 15 minutes, between Ankara-Konya-Antalya and Alanya in 7 hours, and along the Istanbul-Konya-Antalya and Alanya routes in 10 hours, achieving significant time savings.”
High-Speed Train Service for 51% of the Country’s Population
Recalling that Turkey's high-speed rail network has reached a length of 2,251 kilometers, Uraloğlu stated, “We provide high-speed train services to a total of 20 provinces, directly connecting 11 cities, serving 51% of the country's population. The transportation among our cities along the north-south and east-west axes has become much easier with the Ankara-Konya high-speed railway, as well as the Konya-Istanbul and Karaman-Konya lines. Konya has gained momentum in various sectors, from tourism to trade and from education to industry.”
Continuous High-Speed Train Line from Edirne to Gaziantep
Uraloğlu emphasized that they are continuing railway investments without slowing down, stating:
“We aim to increase our railway line length to 28,600 kilometers by 2053. The construction of high-speed railway lines is ongoing in every corner of Turkey. One such project is the Karaman-Ulukışla-Mersin-Adana-Gaziantep railway line. With the commissioning of this line, a citizen boarding the high-speed train in Edirne will be able to reach Gaziantep directly with the speed and comfort of YHT.”