A direct high speed train service connecting Konya to Istanbul was officially inaugurated on the 17th of December by the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, accompanied by Transport Minister Lutfi Elvan. 

Journey time between the two cities will decrease to four hours 15 minutes, from 13 hours by a conventional train, and about 10 hours by bus. Two departures are planned a day and for the first week the service is free of charge.

In 2015,  Turkey plans to invest TRY 8.5 bn (EUR 2.9 bn) in railway development projects, stated Transport Minister Lutfi Elvan. He also announced that  tenders for building a new ultra-high speed line between Istanbul and Ankara will be launched next year. The new line will be completed by 2019 and will reduce the journey time to just 1 hour 10 minutes.

 

Photo: Anadolu Agency