Grassroots benefit most from Ankara-Istanbul high-speed rail

ISTANBUL — For Ahmet Cankoyu, a freshman at a university in Ankara, the high-speed railway linking the Turkish capital with the country’s most populous city of Istanbul is a boon that lifts him out of a dilemma.

The problem of accommodation started to haunt the 19-year-old and his family when he was enrolled into Hacettepe University in Ankara last year as he could not afford the expensive apartments in the city.

For him, it was not easy to find roommates or live with his uncle’s family of four in a small apartment and he found the dormitories either costly or uncomfortable.

So Cankoyu and his family turned to the high-speed line that also links Eskisehir, his hometown.

Cankoyu pays only 48 Turkish lira, or about $13, for a round trip under a special youth discount, and it takes just one and half an hours for a one-way trip.

“Now I am traveling between Eskisehir and Ankara three days a week as I managed to squeeze my classes into three days,” he said. “This is the best option.”

Like Cankoyu, many in Eskisehir have opted to travel to the capital on the line, leading to a sharp increase the passenger numbers, according to figures provided by the State Railways of the Turkish Republic (TCDD).

The line went into operation on March 13, 2009, and the line was successfully extended to Istanbul on July 25, 2014 at a total length of 533 kilometers. China Railway Construction Corporation and China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation, in partnership with two Turkish companies, built a 158km-long line of the second phase of the project between the Inonu-Vezirhan and Vezirhan-Kosekoy sections.

Quicker journey

The express line cuts the traveltimesignificantly,with the journey from Ankara to Istanbul taking four hours compared to the seven to nine hours on a conventional train.

“The high-speed train speeds up the Turkish economy,” said Ramazan Ipek, who is in his late 20s and works in a bistro on a high-speed train. “It provides job opportunities for young Turkish people who are desperately looking for jobs.”

According to the TCDD, the high-speed rail service has brought “dynamism” to the economic, social and cultural lives in the cities along the line, increasing the demand for travel and making the cities “attractive spots” for both domestic and foreign investors.

Turkey plans to build a 3,500 km high-speed railway and a 8500 km fast track by 2023, when the country marks its centennial anniversary, said the TCDD.

The railway authority said 150 billion Turkish lira ($42 billion) will be spent to expand the network from the current 12,532 km to 25,000 km by 2023 and to 31,000 km by 2035.

The high-speed train speeds up the economy. It provides opportunities for young Turkish people who are desperately looking for jobs.” Ramazan Ipek, railway bistro worker