According to Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, the length of electrified lines has increased from 2,122 kilometers in 2002 to 7,142 kilometers as of May 2024, marking a 237 percent rise. This expansion is part of ongoing efforts to modernize Turkey's railway infrastructure and reduce reliance on imported oil.
Electrification Projects and Their Impact
Electrification works are currently underway on 993 kilometers of existing conventional lines, including routes such as:
- Malatya – Elazığ
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Karaman – Ulukışla
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Alayunt - Afyon – Konya
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Köseköy – Gebze
Additionally, construction on the Tobalı - Ödemiş line has been completed, and project and tender preparations are ongoing for a further 2,926 kilometers.
Strategic Goals and Environmental Considerations
The push for electrification is also driven by a strategic aim to utilize Turkey’s own energy resources more effectively. The use of domestically generated and renewable energy sources for railway electrification is intended to reduce external energy dependency and save on foreign currency expenditures.
Future Plans
The ministry aims to increase the electrified line ratio to 90 percent in the medium term. This goal is supported by the ongoing and planned projects, which are designed to meet the growing demands of passenger and freight transportation in Turkey.
