Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu noted that they extended Başkentray to Yenikent with the Sincan (OSB)-Yenikent-Kazan Soda Railway Project. Uraloğlu said, “We will connect Yenikent’s population of over 600 thousand to the metropolitan system with public transport. We will carry 4.4 million tons of cargo per year thanks to the connection line we will connect to Kazan Soda facilities.” Uraloğlu also stated that they have made approximately 90 percent physical progress in the project and that they aim to complete the infrastructure and superstructure works in the 3rd quarter of this year.
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu examined the ongoing works on the Sincan (OSB)-Yenikent-Kazan Soda Railway Project on site. Minister Uraloğlu, who examined the route and received information about the works, made a statement about the importance of the project. Uraloğlu said, “Our project will open the door to a major transformation in both passenger transport and freight services in Ankara.”
Stating that they built a route that is 16 thousand 17 meters long in total, Uraloğlu said, “Our project includes the 12-kilometer Başkentray Suburban Line starting from Sincan and extending to Yenikent, and the 4 thousand 17-meter connection line from Yenikent to Kazan Soda facilities.”
“Thanks to the Connection Line, We Will Carry 4.4 Million Tons of Cargo Per Year”
Uraloğlu also stated that they have built a new double-track railway between Sincan and Yenikent, and that they have established three new stations on the said line, named OSB, Yenikent-1 and Yenikent-2, and continued his words as follows:
“Thus, we will extend the Başkentray suburban line to Yenikent. When our project is completed, we will integrate the Başkentray suburban line to the 1st Organized Industrial Zone and Yenikent via the Sincan Station. We will connect Yenikent’s population of over 600 thousand to the metropolitan system with fast, safe, comfortable and economical public transportation. At the same time, thanks to the connection line we will connect to Kazan Soda facilities, we will carry 4.4 million tons of cargo per year. We will make a serious economic contribution to our country by transporting the soda ash produced at the Kazan Soda Factory to ports economically and quickly and offering it to the world market.”
Uraloğlu also stated that they will contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions by shifting the soda ash currently transported by trucks to the railway, adding that the project will not only increase transportation capacity but also make a great contribution to regional development, saying, “It will be a very valuable step that will accelerate our country’s access to international markets.”
“We Work 268/127 Non-Stop with Our 7 Personnel and 24 Machines”
Uraloğlu, who stated that they have made 85 percent progress in the infrastructure works and 44 percent in the superstructure works of the project, said, “We have completed 2 percent of our works in 239 cut-and-cover tunnels with a length of 11 meters that we have constructed within the scope of the project. We have reached 99 percent in the construction of our 408 bridges with a total length of 4 meters. We have shipped 88 tons of the 3 tons of rail that we need for the superstructure to the field. We are currently working 560/3 with our 467 personnel and 268 machines in the field.”
90 Percent Physical Progress Was Made Across the Project
Uraloğlu, who also stated that they have currently made approximately 90 percent physical progress in the project, said, “In light of all this progress, we aim to complete our infrastructure and superstructure works within the 3rd quarter of this year. We will also hold a signaling tender this year. We plan to open the entire route to suburban passenger and freight traffic with signals and electricity at the beginning of 2027 and towards the end of 2026.”
Railways became State Policy
Uraloğlu stated that they started a new era in railways so that the opportunities provided by the geographical location of Türkiye, which acts as a bridge between Asia and Europe under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, could be transformed into economic and commercial advantages, and emphasized that they made railways a state policy again, as in the early years of the Republic.
Uraloğlu, who said that they increased the length of the railway, which was approximately 2002 thousand kilometers in 11, to 2 thousand 251 kilometers by adding approximately 3 thousand kilometers, 13 thousand 919 kilometers of which are YHT and high-speed train lines, made the following statements in his statement:
“With our Sincan (OSB)-Yenikent-Kazan Soda Railway Project that brings us together; Halkalı – We continue the construction of very important railway projects such as Kapıkule, Ankara-İzmir, Bandırma-Bursa-Yenişehir-Osmaneli, Mersin-Adana-Osmaniye-Gaziantep and Yerköy-Kayseri High Speed Train Lines.”
“We aim to increase our current railway network to 2028 kilometers by 17”
Stating that they have put the Ankara-Istanbul Super High Speed Train Line project on their agenda, Uraloğlu said, “This line will be 344 kilometers long and we plan to reduce the travel time to 350 minutes with our trains that reach a speed of 80 kilometers per hour. In addition, starting from Gebze and passing over the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, we will reach Istanbul Airport and Halkalı/ We have added the Northern Marmara High Speed Train Line project, which will reach Çatalca, to our plans. Our negotiations with the World Bank within the scope of this project are progressing very positively. We can say that we have more or less secured the loan for the approximately 120-kilometer line. We will hopefully hold the tender for that in the coming months. With these works, we aim to increase our current railway network to 2028 kilometers by 17.”
“We Will Transform Another Very Large and Important Project from Dream to Reality”
Uraloğlu stated that they will be proud to successfully complete another prestigious project of Türkiye when they open the Sincan (OSB)-Yenikent-Kazan Soda Railway Line, and continued his words as follows:
“We will transform another very big and important project for our country from a dream into reality. Look, we do not care what anyone thinks or what they do or do not do, we do our job. With this approach, we will continue to serve both Ankara and our country tirelessly. While doing this, we protect every penny our nation has entrusted to us and make the right investments without stealing or squandering. The Sincan (OSB)-Yenikent-Kazan Soda Railway Project will both provide fast and comfortable public transportation to our citizens in the Yenikent region and contribute to the country's economy by increasing the logistics capacity of Kazan Soda facilities. At the same time, the reduction of carbon emissions with the transition from highway to railway will be an important step in terms of environmental sustainability.”
