Star – Türkiye’s rail transportation system is about to undergo a comprehensive reform that will let the private companies to take part in the enlarging network to carry freight and passengers.
According to a recently completed study by the country’s Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications, private companies will be allowed to build railroads and operate trains, increasing the efficiency and competitiveness of the overall system. Private companies willing to build infrastructure will bear the appropriation cost of the immovables in return for a 49-year operating license. Private companies will also be able to lease existing routes to carry freight and passengers.
The Turkish government is looking to increase the use of railways and establish high-speed rail lines between the country’s major population centers. Significant investments in the country’s railway network will be realized over the next 10 years which will increase the length of the network to 26,000 kilometers, nearly double that of today’s 12,000 km. High-speed lines are expected to constitute 10,000 kilometers of the total.