Turkey tests Halkalı‑Kapıkule high‑speed rail link

Turkey’s Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu oversaw a test run on the Halkalı‑Kapıkule high‑speed railway, traveling the newly built Çerkezköy‑Kapıkule section near Büyükkarıştıran in Kırklareli. The 229‑kilometre line, of which the first 153‑kilometre segment was tested, is designed for 200 km/h operation, dual‑track, electrified service with Level‑1 signalling.

The project, financed partly with EU IPA funds, aims to cut passenger travel time between Istanbul and the European border from four hours to 1.5 hours and reduce freight transit from 8.5 hours to 3.5 hours. Annual capacity is projected to rise to 3‑3.4 million passengers and 9.5‑9.6 million tonnes of cargo, strengthening the “Middle Corridor” that connects Asia and Europe through the Balkans. Officials said the line will be placed in commercial service before the end of the year, complementing other high‑speed routes under construction across the country.