Today's Zaman quoted transportation minister Mr Binali Yıldırım as saying that the western province of Bursa will see its first high speed train services in two and a half years' time.

Mr Yıldırım and officials from the Turkish State Railways participated in a signing ceremony to announce the construction of a high speed line between the provinces of Bursa and Bilecik. The first phase of the line, Bursa Yenişehir, is expected to be finalized in 30 months.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Yıldırım said that high speed rail lines will be of great importance to a fast developing Turkey in the years to come and that the government places great importance on the issue. Making mention of plans to domestically manufacture high tech locomotives, Mr Yıldırım said the government is closely following global developments in this area. The Bursa Bilecik high speed line is 75 kilometers long, and 20 tunnels and viaducts will be constructed on this line.

TCDD director general Mr Süleyman Karaman said that they expect to finalize the infrastructure of the line between Bursa and Yenişehir in two and a half years' time. Capable of reaching speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour, the trains on the Bursa Yenişehir line will carry passengers and freight.

Turkey launched its first high speed rail line between the central provinces of Ankara and Eskişehir in 2009. A second high speed rail line connecting the capital Ankara with the Central Anatolian city of Konya was inaugurated in August 2011. The government has decided to implement several major transportation projects, totaling USD 100 billion by the year 2023, the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey. The government aims to connect east to west and north to south, the largest land and railway strategy ever in Turkey. China and Russia are among the countries interested in constructing these projects.

(Sourced from www.todayszaman.com)