Turkey's first high-speed train to begin test runs in June

TCDD's Director General Suleyman Karaman said that the high-speed train services would start in 2008 if the test runs between the capital Ankara and the central Anatolian province of Eskisehir were conducted successfully.

Karaman said countries generally preferred to construct the first line between the capital city and an industrial hub, referring to similar high-speed train projects in other countries.

"Therefore, we have started construction works between Ankara and Istanbul," he said.

Karaman said the Ankara-Eskisehir line was complete, and the TCDD planned to start construction of the Eskisehir-Istanbul line this year.

He also said the infrastructure of the high-speed train project between Ankara and the central Anatolian province of Sivas was almost finished.

"With this project, it will take 2 hours to travel from Ankara to Sivas. But such line has significance as it will connect Turkey's East to the West," Karaman said.

Karaman said the high-speed train service would also start on the Istanbul-Ankara-Konya line, once the superstructure works were completed.

"With the implementation of the high-speed train service, we will build modern station buildings across the country as well," he said.

Karaman said the first modern train station complex, which would include a hotel and a shopping mall, would be constructed in Ankara.

Turkey started construction of the high-speed rail lines in 2003. The first phase of the project, which has been completed, will reduce train travel time between Ankara and Eskisehir from 180 to 70 minutes.

The TCDD purchased first the high-speed trains, with a maximum speed of 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph), from Spanish company, CAF last year.