Test runs begin on flagship Istanbul-Edirne high-speed rail

EDİRNE

Test runs have successfully started on a key section of Türkiye’s flagship Halkalı-Kapıkule high-speed rail project, a major infrastructure initiative aimed at directly connecting Edirne to Istanbul’s rail network and modernizing the country’s rail link with Europe.

The first trial journey was carried out at the central station in Edirne, near Türkiye’s border with Bulgaria, on the Çerkezköy–Kapıkule segment.

Stretching 153 kilometers, the section has seen the completion of infrastructure and superstructure works, along with the installation of technical systems for railway maintenance and monitoring.

Once fully operational, travel time for passengers is expected to drop from around four hours to just 1.5 hours, while freight transport time is projected to decrease from 8.5 hours to approximately 3.5 hours.

With the project’s commissioning, a vital link in the historic Iron Silk Road extending through Türkiye to Europe is set for completion, bolstering the region’s logistical prowess.