Türkiye’s Mersin ports will be connected to both the Middle Corridor and the Development Road through the Mersin-Adana-Osmaniye-Gaziantep High-Speed Railway Project, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said.
Uraloğlu noted that the project will shorten the existing route between Mersin and Gaziantep from 361 kilometers to 312.5 kilometers.
“The project will be integrated with the Development Road through the planned high-speed railway line extending from Gaziantep to Ovaköy, and with the Middle Corridor through the Aksaray-Ulukışla-Yenice High-Speed Railway Project,” he said.
The minister said the existing railway infrastructure between Mersin and Adana will be upgraded to high-speed train standards. Additional new lines will also be completed to create an electrified and signaled railway suitable for both passenger and freight transport, he added.
Uraloğlu said the Mersin-Gaziantep route is being rebuilt to meet high standards for freight transport and to allow passenger trains to operate at speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour.
“With a design speed of 200 kilometers per hour, we aim to carry an average of 3.1 million passengers and around 37.1 million tons of freight annually on this line,” he said.
Uraloğlu said the project will provide an uninterrupted connection from the Mediterranean to the Middle Corridor, strengthening Türkiye’s position in global logistics.
He also said the project is expected to significantly increase trade with neighboring countries such as Syria and Iraq and provide Türkiye with a strategic advantage in international supply chains.
