Mersin ports will be connected to the central corridor and development road through the high-speed train project

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu informed about the project in his written statement.

Stating that with the 312.5-kilometer project, they will make the infrastructure of the existing Mersin-Adana line compatible with high-speed train, Uraloğlu pointed out that they will complete the construction of other new lines and put into operation an electric, signalized high-speed train line suitable for both passenger and freight transportation.

Pointing out that they reconstructed the distance of 361 kilometers between Mersin-Adana-Osmaniye-Gaziantep according to the high standard for freight transportation and a speed of 200 kilometers for passenger train, Uraloğlu said, “In the new situation, we will increase the road to 312.5 kilometers and the travel time between Mersin-Gaziantep, which is 6 hours 23 minutes, to 2 hours Reduce 15 minutes. With a design speed of 200 kilometers per hour, an average of 3.1 million passengers travel on this route every year. “We want to transport passengers and around 37.1 million tons of freight.” gave his assessment.

“We are creating a new trading backbone”

Uraloğlu stated that the project will create an uninterrupted connection from the Mediterranean to the Central Corridor and give Türkiye a much stronger position in terms of global logistics:

“With the development road project, aligned on the north-south axis, we are creating a new commercial spine starting from the Fav Port in Iraq and stretching about 1,200 kilometers to our country and from there to Europe. Our Mersin-Adana-Osmaniye-Gaziantep high-speed train line is a crucial link that connects these two great visions, the Middle Corridor and the Development Road, with the Mediterranean. The project is a high-speed train, from which an extension is planned from Gaziantep to Ovaköy: “It will be integrated into the development road through the route and into the Middle Corridor through the Aksaray-Ulukışla-Yenice high-speed rail project.”

Stating that the project will transform the cities along the route into indispensable logistics centers of the Mediterranean, Uraloğlu emphasized that it will exponentially increase trade volumes with neighboring countries such as Syria and Iraq and provide a strategic advantage in international supply chains.

Ongoing projects

Uraloğlu stated that the line will connect Mersin Ports with the Central Corridor and Development Road at high speed and will make a significant contribution to accelerating regional trade by reducing the times in freight and passenger transportation, and shared the following information about the ongoing works:

“We have reached a level of 98 percent in the overall physical progress of the Tarsus City Junction. The construction of Osmaniye, Nurdağı, Mersin-Adana stations and the construction of Mersin and Adana stations continue.