Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, emphasizing the strategic importance of the Karaman-Ulukışla High Speed Train Project in Türkiye's Development Road Corridor, stated that the project will create a major transformation in both freight and passenger transportation. Minister Uraloğlu announced that with the completion of the project, the travel time between Karaman and Ulukışla will decrease from 145 minutes to 50 minutes and it will have the potential to carry 33,48 million tons of cargo and 2,73 million passengers annually.
During his inspections at the Karaman-Ulukışla High Speed Train Project Ereğli Construction Site, Minister Uraloğlu received detailed information along the route of the project and evaluated the final point reached.
“We Considered Railways as a State Policy”
Minister Uraloğlu stated that railways have a strategic importance because they provide safe, economical and fast transportation opportunities and said, “Our railways have a historical and strategic importance beyond the economic and social life of our country. Our country, located on the Middle Corridor of the Silk Road between Asia and Europe, extending from China to London, has great strategic importance in international freight and passenger transportation. Based on this fact, under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we have taken up railways as a state policy with the development initiatives we have initiated since 2002 and determined them as a priority sector.”
Stating that they have launched a new breakthrough in railways in order to transform the opportunities provided by Türkiye's geographical location into economic and commercial advantages, Uraloğlu emphasized that they are handling projects with an understanding suitable for combined transportation by connecting railway lines to ports, airports and logistics centers.
“We have invested approximately $23 billion in railways in the last 63 years”
Uraloğlu stated that they aim to make railway transportation a contribution to the economy not only on the east-west line but also between the north-south coasts with the projects. Stating that approximately 2002 billion dollars were invested in railways between 2025-63, Uraloğlu noted that uninterrupted railway transportation between Asia and Europe was provided with the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line and the Marmaray project. Uraloğlu stated that the railway length, which was 2002 thousand kilometers in 11, reached 2023 thousand 13 kilometers as of 919 and that a large portion of the lines were signaled and electrified. He also reminded that Türkiye was introduced to high-speed train operations and that the Ankara-Eskişehir, Ankara-Konya, Ankara-İstanbul, Konya-Karaman and Ankara-Sivas lines were put into service.
Cargo and Passenger Potential of Karaman-Ulukışla High Speed Train Line
Stating that the Konya-Karaman High-Speed Train Line was put into service in 2022 and carried approximately 4 million passengers, Uraloğlu explained that the 135-kilometer-long Karaman-Ulukışla Line, which is the continuation of this line, was built as double-track, electrified and signaled, suitable for a speed of 200 kilometers. He stated that within the scope of the project, 5 stations, namely Sudurağı, Ayrancı, Ereğli, Çakmak and Ulukışla Stations, 2 tunnels, 52 underpasses and overpasses, 15 bridges and 147 culverts were built. Uraloğlu stated that the line will have the potential to carry 33,48 million tons of cargo and 2,73 million passengers annually and that the travel time between Karaman and Ulukışla will decrease from 145 minutes to 50 minutes.
Contributions of the Project to Regional and National Economy
Uraloğlu stated that with the completion of the line, a high-speed train departing from Mersin will be able to reach Istanbul via Karaman, Konya and Ankara, or Izmir via Afyon. He emphasized that the project will strengthen Türkiye's role in the Development Path Corridor and increase its competitiveness in international trade. He reminded that the "Development Path Project Memorandum of Understanding" was signed with the transport ministers of Iraq, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on April 22, 2024, and that the FAW Port in Iraq will be connected to the Turkish border.
Project Construction Process and Goals
Uraloğlu announced that 92,5 percent physical progress has been achieved in the infrastructure and superstructure works of the Karaman-Ulukışla project and that these works are aimed to be completed by the end of the year. He stated that 5 percent progress has been made in electrification works and that the tender for signaling works will be held soon. He stated that the project is aimed to be put into operation at the end of 2026 or in the first months of 2027.
Uraloğlu emphasized that when the project is completed, it will be more than just a transportation project, it will accelerate regional development, facilitate access to international markets through Mersin Port and strengthen the country's logistics infrastructure. He also stated that by transferring road freight transport to railway, carbon emissions will be reduced and environmental sustainability will be contributed.
