Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the start of construction of a new high-speed railway that will connect the Turkish city of Samsun with the Georgian city of Sarpi via the cities of the Black Sea region. This statement was made at the congress of the ruling party in Rize.
The new railway route will provide a link between Ankara, the Black Sea region of Turkey and Georgia. The line will connect the cities of Ordu, Giresun, Trabzon, Rize and Artvin. For the first time, Rize and Artvin will be included in the national railway network. According to the Turkish president, construction will begin in the near future. Rize will become part of a large-scale transport network.
“We are connecting the cities of Trabzon, Rize and Artvin with a high-speed railway. Thus, Rize will meet the railway for the first time. I say this looking into the eyes of the Minister of Transport,” Erdogan said.
Other Transport Projects in Turkey
In addition to the Samsun-Sarpi line, Turkey is actively investing in the development of its transport infrastructure. In 2024, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced the completion of several key projects:
The introduction of a new railway line that will reduce travel time between Antalya and Alanya to 50 minutes.
The development of the Istanbul-Ankara high-speed line, which will be completed by 2034. It will reduce travel time to 80 minutes.
Planning for the Northern Marmara railway line, which is expected to open in 2028-2029.
The minister also noted that facial recognition will be introduced in taxis, minibuses and buses in 2025 to improve passenger safety.
Long-term Plans for the Development of the Railway Network
Turkey will continue to invest heavily in railway infrastructure in the coming years. By 2025, the total length of railway lines will reach 14,275 kilometers, and by 2027, 15,934 kilometers.
The key goal for 2025–2027 is to increase the share of double-track railway lines:
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to 18% in 2025,
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to 19% in 2026,
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to 21% in 2027.
A number of major projects are planned for completion:
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2025: Sincan–Yenikent–Kazan–Soda, Konyaray, Karaman–Ulukişla lines.
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2026: Mersin–Adana–Osmaniye–Gaziantep, Ankara–Izmir (Polatli–Afyon section).
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2027: Ankara–Istanbul (Doğançay Ripaci-2 section).
The share of rail transport in passenger transportation will increase:
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To 5.93% in 2025.
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To 6.12% in 2026.
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Up to 6.3% in 2027.
In freight transportation, the share of railways will be:
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6.76% in 2025,
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7.53% in 2026,
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7.7% in 2027.
All these measures are aimed at increasing the role of railway transport in the Turkish economy and turning Turkey into a major logistics hub in Eurasia.