Türkiye To Inaugurate 153km High-Speed Rail Link To Bulgarian Border
Türkiye is set to inaugurate a 153-kilometre section of the Halkali-Kapikule high-speed railway on October 9, extending the country’s high-speed rail network to Kapikule and the Bulgarian border.
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu disclosed this in a statement carried by the state-run Anadolu Agency, saying President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to attend the inauguration ceremony.
The Cerkezkoy-Kapikule section is the longest completed segment of the Halkali-Kapikule railway project and has been designed to accommodate both passenger and freight services.
The double-track, electrified railway has an operational speed of up to 200 kilometres per hour and features 31 bridges, eight cut-and-cover tunnels, two viaducts, 114 underpasses and overpasses, as well as 175 culverts.
According to Uraloglu, a total of 353 kilometres of railway track have been laid as part of the project.
The completed section is expected to significantly reduce travel times along the corridor. Passenger journeys between Halkali and Kapikule are projected to fall from about four hours to 1.5 hours, while freight transit times are expected to drop from 8.5 hours to 3.5 hours.
Rail capacity will also increase substantially, with annual passenger capacity projected to rise from 600,000 to approximately three million, while freight capacity will increase from 1.5 million tonnes to 9.5 million tonnes.
Uraloglu said the railway would strengthen access to European markets for industrial zones and ports in Istanbul, Kocaeli, Tekirdag and the wider Trakya region.
He noted that 86 per cent of Türkiye’s rail freight exports passed through the corridor in 2024, underscoring its importance to the country’s international trade.
The project also includes major upgrades at Kapikule, Türkiye’s principal rail gateway into Europe. The number of tracks at Kapikule station will increase from 23 to 42, while the total track length will expand from 14,840 metres to 29,680 metres.
In addition, a 2.4-kilometre stretch between Kapikule and the Bulgarian border will be upgraded to a double-track railway.
The expanded infrastructure is expected to improve train handling and shunting capacity, while faster customs and inspection procedures will help reduce waiting times at the border.
Uraloglu described the Halkali-Kapikule line as a strategic European gateway for the Middle Corridor, linking Türkiye with the wider European railway network.
The railway will also serve as the western end of the planned Development Road, which is expected to connect Iraq’s Al Faw Port with Europe through Türkiye.
Construction is still ongoing on the Ispartakule-Cerkezkoy section and the section linking Ispartakule with Halkali.
Upon completion of the entire route, the Turkish government expects the railway to further strengthen the country’s position as a major transit hub for passenger and freight movement between Europe and Asia.
