Ankara–Eskişehir High-Speed Rail Line Celebrates 17th Anniversary
The Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, announced that Türkiye’s first high-speed rail line, running between Ankara and Eskişehir, has completed 17 years of service. In a written statement, Minister Uraloğlu highlighted that the initial phase of the Ankara–Istanbul High-Speed Railway Project, inaugurated on 13 March 2009, laid the foundation for a modern high-speed rail network across the country.
Expansion of High-Speed Rail Network
Since the launch of the Ankara–Eskişehir line, Türkiye has continued to extend its high-speed rail system. The network now covers 2,251 kilometres, with new lines under construction. Routes have expanded over the years to include Ankara–Konya (2011), Konya–Istanbul and Ankara–Istanbul (2014), Karaman–Istanbul, Karaman–Ankara, and Eskişehir–Istanbul (2022), Ankara–Sivas (2023), and Sivas–Istanbul (2024).
Passenger Statistics and Journey Patterns
To date, approximately 110 million passengers have travelled on Türkiye’s high-speed trains. On a daily basis, an average of 34,000 passengers use the high-speed rail services. The busiest route, Ankara–Istanbul, carries around 16,723 passengers per day, followed by Konya–Istanbul (4,517), Ankara–Konya (3,665), Ankara–Sivas (1,852), Istanbul–Sivas (1,590), Ankara–Karaman (1,539), Istanbul–Karaman (1,413), Ankara–Eskişehir (1,189), and Eskişehir–Istanbul (857).
Significance of the Ankara–Eskişehir Line
Since its inauguration, the Ankara–Eskişehir line alone has served approximately 21.4 million travellers. Eskişehir has also emerged as an important center for both rail transport and the railway industry in Türkiye.
Direct and Combined Service to Multiple Cities
The high-speed rail network currently provides direct connections to 11 cities, including Ankara, Eskişehir, Konya, Bilecik, Sakarya, Kocaeli, Istanbul, Karaman, Yozgat, Kırıkkale, and Sivas. In addition, combined transport options using bus or conventional train links offer efficient travel to 9 more cities: Adana, Afyonkarahisar, Antalya, Bursa, Denizli, Kütahya, Mersin, Malatya, and Tokat, significantly reducing travel times.
Continued Investment and Future Targets
Minister Uraloğlu emphasized that investment in railways remains a priority under Türkiye’s transport policy, with the share of railway investments rising to 53 percent of the 2026 budget. The government aims to expand the railway network to 17,287 kilometres by 2028 as part of its 2053 transportation targets, further developing existing corridors and enhancing the country’s rail infrastructure.
