Before the 2017 separation, TCDD operated most passenger and freight train services over the state railway network. The following material describes this historical operating role. For current passenger services, freight operations, train fleets and timetables, see TCDD Transport and Rail transport in Turkey.
Before 2017, TCDD directly operated intercity, regional, suburban and international passenger trains, as well as the high-speed Yüksek Hızlı Tren (YHT) services introduced in 2009. This section covers the former railway operator's service history. It is not a current timetable or a statement that TCDD remains the passenger train operator. Since the restructuring, passenger train services over TCDD's infrastructure have principally been operated by TCDD Transport, alongside other arrangements such as the İZBAN joint venture.
TCDD inaugurated Turkey's first high-speed rail passenger service, branded Yüksek Hızlı Tren (YHT), between Ankara and Eskişehir on 13 March 2009. Services subsequently expanded to Konya in 2011, Istanbul in 2014, Karaman in 2022 and Sivas in 2023. Since the 2017 restructuring, YHT trains have been operated by TCDD Transport, while TCDD manages the infrastructure.
On 25 July 2014, Ankara–Istanbul high-speed services were extended to Pendik railway station on the Asian side of Istanbul. From March 2019 the services also reached Halkalı railway station, crossing the Bosphorus via the Marmaray rail tunnel.
Read the full text
Several extensions and new high-speed lines have been proposed or constructed since the first YHT opening. Project status and service coverage are described in High-speed rail in Turkey rather than in this company's operating history.
Mainline services
Historically, TCDD classified conventional intercity passenger services as anahat (mainline), including express trains and Blue Train services. In 2010, mainline trains accounted for approximately 24% of the operator's passenger traffic. The company's intercity rolling stock included TVS2000 passenger coaches used on both day and overnight services. Operation of these services passed to TCDD Transport in 2017.
International services
TCDD historically operated international passenger services linking Turkey with neighbouring countries. The services listed below are historical examples and should not be understood as a list of trains currently running. Present-day timetables, border-crossing restrictions and international passenger operations require independent verification.
Former international services
The Haydarpaşa Terminal was the terminus for a weekly train, to Tehran in Iran, another train to Iran used to travel between Van, Turkey and Tebriz in Iran.
Additionally, trains from Iran to Syria (and vice versa) used to pass through Turkey.
Trans-Asia Express, to Tehran, Iran via İzmit, Bilecik, Eskişehir, Ankara, Kayseri, Sivas, Elazığ, Tatvan (train-ferry), Van and Tabriz.
Van-Tebriz Treni (Van – Tabriz train) Route: Van, Özalp, Kapıköy, Razi, border crossing to Iran, Salmas, Tabriz (and back.)
Tehran – Damascus Train, route: Tehran, Tabriz, Razi, Kapıköy, border crossing to Turkey, Van, (train-ferry), Tatvan, Muş, Elazığ, Malatya, Fevzipaşa, Islahiye, Meydanekbez, Turkey – border crossing to Syria, (via Syrian Railways) – Meidan Ekbis, Aleppo, Damascus (and back.) This service was interrupted when the border between Syria and Turkey was closed due to the Syrian civil war.
Taurus Express (Toros Ekspresi), route: Istanbul: Haydarpaşa Terminal, Eskişehir (Enveriye), Kütahya, Afyon, Konya, Adana, Fevzipaşa, Islahiye, Meydanekbez, border crossing to Syria (via Syrian Railways) – Aleppo, Damascus (and back.)
Gaziantep – Baghdad: This service was indefinitely suspended since 13 March 2003 with the invasion of Iraq and the ongoing insurgency. Route: Turkey: Gaziantep, Karkamış, Akçakale, Ceylanpınar, Şenyurt, Nusaybin, border crossing to Syria, Al Qamishli, (via Syrian Railways), border crossing to Iraq, El-Yaribieh, Rabia, Mosul, Baghdad. It was also running from Istanbul to Gaziantep as mainline until 2003. It is begun again on 16 August 2012 between Eskişehir-Adana but due to renovations, it's shortened to Konya-Adana route on 15 March 2013.
Dostluk/Fillia Express (IC 90/91), to Thessaloniki, Greece via Uzunköprü, Pythion and Alexandroupolis.The line however was eventually terminated in February 2011.
Commuter services
Before restructuring, TCDD operated suburban passenger trains around Istanbul and Ankara. The European-side Istanbul suburban railway from Sirkeci Terminal towards Halkalı began electric services in December 1955. TCDD historically used E8000, E14000 and later E23000 electric multiple units for these services; the E4000 class also worked on electrified suburban routes.
The İzmir commuter system is operated through İZBAN, a joint venture between TCDD and the local government. The Marmaray railway and the Başkentray suburban railway are discussed in their respective articles.
Freight operations
Before 2017, TCDD was responsible for freight train operations as well as the infrastructure used by those trains. Rail freight volumes and the commodity mix changed over time; a 2003 World Bank restructuring study reviewed the sector's performance during the 1980s and 1990s. TCDD's 2013 statistical yearbook reported 26.6 million tonnes of freight transported during that year; a contemporary review of the figures also recorded the rise from 25.7 million tonnes in 2012.
Since the separation of operations, TCDD Transport and other authorised undertakings have carried freight over TCDD-managed infrastructure. TCDD continues to provide and maintain freight-related railway facilities, including marshalling yards, industrial connections and logistics centres.
Network
At the end of 2024, TCDD reported 13,919 kilometres (8,649 mi) of railway track under its responsibility. This consisted of 9,235 kilometres (5,738 mi) of conventional main-line track, 2,433 kilometres (1,512 mi) of connecting tracks and station tracks, and 2,251 kilometres (1,399 mi) of high-speed and higher-speed railway track. The aggregate measures track length rather than the geographic route length of a network of unique corridors.
Of the reported network, 7,274 kilometres (4,520 mi) was electrified and 8,046 kilometres (5,000 mi) was equipped with railway signalling by the end of 2024, equivalent to approximately 52% and 58% of the recorded track length, respectively. TCDD reported 2,576 level crossings at that date, including 1,191 with active protection and 1,385 with passive protection.
In 2024, services of all railway undertakings over TCDD infrastructure generated approximately 65.3 million train-kilometres. These infrastructure-use statistics should not be interpreted as passenger or freight volumes carried directly by TCDD.
TCDD Taşımacılık's 2025 Activity Report recorded a total of 13,919 km of track at the end of 2025, of which 7,274 km was electrified and 8,419 km was signalled. The last figure is higher than the 2024 Treasury total of 8,046 km; the different reporting years should be retained when comparing them.
Electrification
TCDD's principal electrified main-line system uses 25 kV, 50 Hz AC overhead equipment. Electrification initially focused on suburban lines, followed by longer intercity routes. By the end of 2024, TCDD reported 7,274 kilometres (4,520 mi) of electrified track; the calculation includes electrified high-speed and secondary tracks, and therefore is not directly comparable with some older measures limited to route length or conventional main lines.
History
Turkish State Railways started an electrification plan in 1953. The plan was to first electrify important suburban lines in Istanbul and Ankara. The main reason for this was the many complaints of citizens living in the city about the pollution of the steam locomotives. The railways chose the standard 25 kV 50 Hz AC system to electrify with. The first line to be electrified was the Sirkeci-Halkalı line on the İstanbul commuter railway. Three electric locomotives were ordered from Alsthom and Jeumont from France as well as several sets of multiple units. Electrification was complete and electric train started to run on December 4, 1955. The electrification got many positive reactions. In 1969, TCDD electrified the Haydarpaşa–Gebze part of the commuter railway in İstanbul. Several more sets of E8000 emus were ordered as well as 15 E40000 electric locomotives to meet the demands of the railway. The Ankara Suburban Railway was electrified in 1972 and brand new E14000 multiple units were ordered.
With the success of electrifying suburban lines, the State Railways turned to electrify important main lines. The main reason for this is that tough gradients would be easier to climb with electric traction than steam or diesel traction. On February 6, 1977, TCDD finished the electrification as well as major earthworks of the Gebze-Adapazarı part of the İstanbul–Adapazarı main line. The State Railway then turned to electrify the entire İstanbul-Ankara main line, to try to save its diminishing reputation. Construction started in 1987. Forty-five E43000 electric locomotives were ordered from Toshiba and built in Eskişehir by Tülomsaş, to be used on the line. Electrification was completed between Arifye and Eskişehir and electric trains began to run in 1989. Electrification was connected to Ankara in 1993. The major ore route between Divriği and İskenderun was electrified in 1994 to make it easier for heavy trains to go up steep gradients. İstanbul to Edirne and Kapıkule was electrified in 1997 and 15 new E52500 electric locomotives were delivered from ASEA in 1998. In an attempt to revive İzmir's suburban network, Alsancak-Cumaovası and Basmane-Aliağa lines were electrified in 2001 and 2002 respectively. However these were not used at all. In 2006 the wires were taken down and the line was re-electrified completely between 2006 and 2010. This line opened on August 30, 2010, between Alsancak-Cumaovası and October 29, 2010, between Alsancak and Aliağa.
High-speed rail development
TCDD manages high-speed railway infrastructure, while passenger services branded YHT are operated by TCDD Transport. The first high-speed service opened between Ankara and Eskişehir in March 2009, and the Ankara–Sivas route entered passenger service in 2023.
One of the major projects under development during the 2020s was the Mersin–Adana–Osmaniye–Gaziantep railway upgrade, which received a UK export-finance-backed financing package announced in 2023. This was a project announcement, rather than evidence that the upgraded route had entered service.
Recent electrification work
According to the Treasury's 2024 public-enterprises report, TCDD completed electrification on a further 132 kilometres (82 mi) of track during 2024. The reported sections were Köseköy–Yarımca (37 km), Sincan–Batı (9 km), Torbalı–Ödemiş (75 km) and Çatal–Tire (11 km). These reported completions raised the length of electrified track to 7,274 km.
Difiglio, Carmine; Güray, Bora Şekip; Merdan, Ersin (November 2020). Turkey Energy Outlook (Report). Sabancı University Istanbul International Center for Energy and Climate (IICEC). ISBN 978-605-70031-9-5.
Regional directorates
TCDD organises track, station and infrastructure management through regional directorates and a high-speed railway directorate. Its 2024 performance programme identified regional offices in Istanbul (Haydarpaşa), Ankara, İzmir, Sivas, Malatya, Adana, Afyonkarahisar and Erzurum, as well as a separate Ankara-based YHT directorate. This is a dated organisational description; the number and geographic allocation of directorates have been revised over time.
Railway links with adjacent countries
The following is a list of railway border crossings of Turkey.
Land border crossings of Turkey
Kars–Gyumri–Tbilisi railway (Kars–Gymri section closed since 1993)
Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway
West neighboring countries
Bulgaria – open – 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) – 25 kV, 50 Hz AC
Greece – closed – 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) – 25 kV, 50 Hz AC (no train runs since February 2011)
East neighboring countries
Georgia – freight only – break-of-gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)/1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) at Akhalkalaki (Georgia; see the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway)
Armenia – closed since 1993 – break-of-gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)/1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) (see the Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi railway line)
Azerbaijan – no direct link – break-of-gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)/1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) via Georgia open since 2017 (Kars -Iğdır - Nakhchivan railway construction work officially commenced in April 2025.)
Iran – open, via Lake Van train ferry – 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Iraq – no direct link, traffic routed via Syria – 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Syria – closed because of the Syrian civil war – 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Logistics centres and yards
TCDD manages rail-connected logistics centres and freight-handling infrastructure, separately from the freight train services operated by licensed undertakings. Its 2024 performance programme listed 12 operating logistics centres at the end of 2023: Samsun (Gelemen), Istanbul (Halkalı), Eskişehir (Hasanbey), Balıkesir (Gökköy), Denizli (Kaklık), Kahramanmaraş (Türkoğlu), Erzurum (Palandöken), İzmit (Köseköy), Uşak, Mersin (Yenice), Konya (Kayacık) and Kars.
TCDD Taşımacılık's 2025 annual report subsequently recorded 13 logistics centres within the national railway infrastructure, although it did not identify the additional centre in the same table.
These facilities provide interfaces between rail transport and other logistics activities, such as storage, loading and road freight. TCDD has also maintained Marşandiz Yard in Ankara and other marshalling and goods facilities. Plans for additional logistics centres should be distinguished from facilities already placed in operation.
Ferries
TCDD operates the Lake Van train-ferry service between Tatvan and Van, which bridges a gap in the railway connection towards Iran. According to the Treasury's 2024 public-enterprises report, the service completed 364 crossings during 2024, carrying 476,717 tonnes of freight and 961 passengers. The ferries Sultan Alparslan and İdris-i Bitlisi have been associated with this route.
Historically, TCDD also used railway ferries across the Bosphorus between the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. That function changed following development of the Marmaray railway link; a Tekirdağ–Derince rail-ferry route was trialled during the transition period.
A separate freight train-ferry service between Bandırma and Tekirdağ was introduced in 2025, with an inaugural sailing reported in May, as an alternative rail crossing of the Sea of Marmara to the Marmaray tunnel. The new operation was organised through TCDD Transport and a contracted operator, rather than constituting a return to direct passenger or freight train operation by TCDD. Contemporary reporting identified the ferry as the Erdeniz and described a capacity of 60 railway wagons.
Network extensions and modernization
TCDD's infrastructure investment has included new high-speed and conventional routes as well as the electrification, signalling and renewal of existing railway track. In 2024, TCDD reported capital investment expenditure of approximately ₺51.95 billion; this is recorded expenditure and should not be confused with older published construction targets.
The Ministry of Treasury and Finance reported 132 kilometres (82 mi) of newly completed electrification during 2024, including the Torbalı–Ödemiş and Çatal–Tire sections. The same report recorded improvements reducing the number of level crossings from 2,595 at the end of 2023 to 2,576 at the end of 2024.
Major modernisation and expansion projects are treated in greater detail under High-speed rail in Turkey, Marmaray, Başkentray, Gaziray and Rail transport in Turkey. Dates and lengths in individual project plans should not be presented as completed work without confirmation from an implementation report.
