Agencies
Türkiye is advancing negotiations with the World Bank regarding a funding for a railway project across the Bosporus Strait, and is planning to hold an auction for its construction in the coming months, according to Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.
The railway would cross the Yavuz Sultan Selim suspension bridge, one of the longest and widest of its kind in the world, which was built for $3 billion under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to link Istanbul’s European and Asian sides. It was the third built to cross the Bosporus after the July 15 Martyrs Bridge and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge.
Türkiye has been promoting the new rail project as part of the Development Road Project, a new freight link planned between Asia and Europe via upgraded rail and road infrastructure through Iraq and Türkiye.
“We can say that we have roughly secured the financing for the approximately 120-kilometer (75-mile) line that will run from Gebze to Sabiha Gökçen, Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, Istanbul Airport and finally to Halkalı. We plan to hold its tender in the coming months,” Uraloğlu told reporters on Friday.
In October, the minister said Türkiye was close to an agreement with the World Bank to finance the $4 billion railway project. “We are very close to finalization” for as much as $3 billion or 3 billion euros, Uraloğlu told Bloomberg.
Türkiye had held talks with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to finance the project, following a $51 billion pledge by the Gulf country to invest in Türkiye. Uraloğlu previously said the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) could also provide financing.
Among others, Uraloğlu on Friday also discussed Türkiye’s railway ambitions, transportation links, metro investments, international collaborations and digital infrastructure.
He reiterated plans to expand Türkiye’s current 13,919-kilometer railway network to 17,500 kilometers by 2028 and stressed the long-term goal of 28,500 kilometers. He cited multiple projects, including lines such as Ankara-Izmir, Mersin-Adana-Gaziantep, Yerköy-Kayseri, Halkalı-Kapıkule, Bilecik-Bursa-Osmaneli and Karaman-Ulukışla.
Highlighting efforts to enhance domestic production, Uraloğlu said: “Producing railway vehicles is as significant as building railways. From locomotives to wagons, we produce them ourselves.”
He also noted advancements in the national electric train, which reaches speeds of 160 kilometers per hour. “Our new train, capable of traveling at 225 kilometers per hour, will be operational across all high-speed railways. Prototypes will be ready next year, with serial production starting in 2027,” he added.
Uraloğlu also shared insights into ongoing transportation discussions with Syria, covering road, rail, aviation, maritime and communication sectors. While road infrastructure in Syria operates below standard, he emphasized the need for improvements, though this was not the top priority.
“When we look at the highways in Syria, there is a functioning system, although it does not meet the
desired standards,” said the minister.
He noted that approximately 50 kilometers of railway on the Syrian side had been destroyed, adding: “We are working to rebuild the railway and, if possible, connect it all the way to Damascus.”
Uraloğlu also announced Türkiye’s technical support for rehabilitating Damascus Airport, including installing some key systems and radar.
He emphasized the need to procure and set up additional radar systems, highlighting the desire for these to be domestic. He noted that Türkiye’s Aselsan is managing the production, and their teams are actively working in the field.
National flag carrier Turkish Airlines has increased its weekly flights between Istanbul and Damascus to five, from the initial three, according to Uraloğlu.
