Ankara–Sivas high-speed railway
The Ankara–Sivas high-speed railway (Turkish: Ankara–Sivas yüksek hızlı demiryolu), is a 406 km (252 mi) long high-speed railway currently under construction in Turkey. Once completed, it will become the second longest high-speed railway in Turkey after the Ankara–Istanbul high-speed railway. Travel time between Ankara and Sivas will be reduced to 2 hours and 50 minutes,[1] from the current journey time around 9 hours and 30 minutes.[2][3] The railway will also serve as an extension of the Ankara-Istanbul HSR with a total journey time from Istanbul to Sivas at around 7 hours.
Ankara–Sivas high-speed railway | |
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The westernmost point of the line, Ankara railway station | |
Overview | |
Status | Under construction |
Owner | Turkish State Railways |
Locale | Central Anatolia |
Termini | Ankara Sivas |
Service | |
Type | High-speed rail |
System | Turkish State Railways |
Operator(s) | TCDD Taşımacılık |
Depot(s) | Etimesgut |
History | |
Opened | 2021 (expected) |
Technical | |
Line length | 406 km (252.28 mi) |
Number of tracks | Double track |
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
Loading gauge | TCDD gross gauge |
Minimum radius | 3,500 m |
Electrification | 25 kV, 50 Hz AC overhead line |
Operating speed | 250 km/h (160 mph) |
Maximum incline | 18‰ |
History and the project
As there's no direct railway link between Ankara and Sivas, the travel time by train takes too much time compared to road transport. Railway link between Ankara and Sivas passes through Kayseri currently. In line with TCDD's willing to increase the part of rail transport in global transportation, survey for a new high-speed railway line began on 2004. Constructions began in 2008 with major stops during 2010 due to changes in the project. When completed, the journey time is expected to be reduced to 2h and 50min compared to 12h (currently). Testing on the line began in March 2020, with opening projected for 2021.
Sections and speeds
Constructions are divided into four sections:
Section | Length | Max Speed | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Ankara Central - Kayaş | 12 km | 140 km/h | |
Kayaş - Kırıkkale | 62 km | 250 km/h | |
Kırıkkale - Yerköy | 79 km | ||
Yerköy - Sivas | 253 km |
References
- Adnan Ekinci. Hızlı Tren Hakkında Herşey (Report). TCDD Genel Müdürlüğü. p. 40.
- "Güney Kurtalan Ekspresi". tcddseferleri.com (in Turkish). Retrieved 8 April 2018.
- "Doğu Ekspresi". tcddseferleri.com (in Turkish). Retrieved 8 April 2018.