Origins

Istanbul and Ankara are Turkey's largest two cities, having a combined population over 20 million. Transportation demand between the two cities is expectedly high. The Otoyol 4 motorway is a major highway between the two cities, and the Ankara–Istanbul route is the busiest domestic air route in the country. The route between Istanbul and Ankara by rail has been a single-track line, and trains usually were delayed 30 minutes to 2 hours plus the average 7 hours, 30 minutes travel time. Rail transport in Turkey was already at its lowest point, so in 2003 the State Railways and the Turkish Ministry of Transport made an agreement to build a 533 km (331 mi) line between the two cities. The line would be an electrified double trackline. Construction began in 2004 from Esenkent to Eskişehir. The line was completed on 23 April 2007.^[5]

Testing

On 28 February 2007 TCDD requested bids for high-speed train sets from other networks to be tested on the completed portion of the high-speed line.

On 30 March 2007, TCDD signed an agreement with Trenitalia of Ferrovie dello Stato to rent an ETR 500 train set for 4 months for testing the system.^[5][6]

The first run was from Haydarpaşa Terminal in Istanbul to the Central Station in Ankara, using the completed portion of the high-speed line between Hasanbey and Esenkent.

On 14 September 2007 the ETR 500 Y2 set a speed record in Turkey, reaching 303 km/h (188.3 mph).^[7] This test received extensive media coverage in Turkey.

On 20 November 2007 the first TCDD HT65000 high-speed train sets purchased from CAF of Spain entered Turkey from the Kapıkule border station in Edirne,^[8] and tests were subsequently made with these trains prior to the commencement of services on 13 March 2009.

In 2010 one of the YHT trains was converted into a test train in order to test and measure the new lines.^[9] The Transportation Ministry spent 14 million TL (around 7 million Euros at that time) for the installation of testing and measuring equipment on the train, which it named – because it is a tradition to give a name to test trains – as "Piri Reis" after the renowned Turkish admiral and cartographer who drew some of the most accurate and detailed maps of the Mediterranean Sea and the Americas in the early 16th century.^[9]

Naming

TCDD requested bids for the name of the high-speed service. Out of over 100 entries, the ones with the highest votes were: Türk Yıldızı (Turkish Star), Turkuaz (Turquoise), Yüksek Hızlı Tren (High Speed Train), Çelik Kanat (Steel Wing) and Yıldırım (Lightning). TCDD chose Yüksek Hızlı Tren to be the name of the service.^[10]

Opening

On 13 March 2009, the inauguration ceremony took place in Ankara; attended by President Abdullah Gül, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Minister of Transport Binali Yıldırım, who started the first phase of the YHT service running between Ankara and Eskişehir.

Ankara-Eskişehir

Ankara to Eskişehir service was the first YHT and high-speed rail route in Turkey, entering service on 13 March 2009. The route has the most frequent train service of the whole YHT network, with 13 daily trains in each direction, 8 of which continue to Istanbul, while only 5 daily trains operate just between the two cities. The average journey time is 1 hour and 29 minutes.

Ankara-Istanbul

Before the YHT came into operation, average journey time between İstanbul and Ankara was 7 hours and 30 minutes. By transferring from the YHT to intercity trains at Eskişehir, average journey time between İstanbul and Ankara has fallen to 5 hours and 30 minutes.^[13] After the completion of the second phase of the Ankara-Istanbul high-speed railway (Eskişehir-Istanbul) in 2013, some journeys between Ankara and Eskişehir were extended to Istanbul and YHT started running on the Ankara-Istanbul (Pendik) route on 26 July 2014. The journey is now reduced to as little as 3 hours 49 minutes.^[2]

Ankara-Karaman

The route was put into service on 23 August 2011 on the second high-speed railway line being constructed in Turkey. With its inauguration, the journey time between these two cities hugely decreased (mainly because of the absence of direct railway link between the cities).

Istanbul-Karaman

The line was put into service on 17 December 2021. It stops at every stations on its route in which YHT service in present. The average journey time is about 4 hours and 17 minutes.

Ankara-Sivas

The line was put into service on 26 April 2023. It stops at every stations on its route in which YHT service in present. The average journey time is about 2 hours and 50 minutes.

Sivas–Kars line

An extension eastwards to Kars from the Ankara – Sivas line is planned (a feasibility study done in 2006^[14]), passing through Erzincan and Erzurum.^[15] The line is expected to be built in three phases. It will be electrified and double-tracked based on the 250 km/h standard.^[16]

Sivas–Erzincan line construction has started in 2018.

Ankara-Afyon-İzmir

Ankara to İzmir high-speed rail service has been talked about since construction of the Ankara-Istanbul high-speed railway began. The 570 km (350 mi) long route will reduce travel time between the two cities from around 13 hours to 3 hours and 30 minutes. The route will diverge off the Polatlı-Konya high-speed railway just south of Polatlı junction and head west, through Afyonkarahisar. The railway will connect to the İzmir-Afyon railway at Manisa and continue into İzmir together with other trains. A second route into İzmir though Kemalpaşa is also planned. This route would diverge off the railway west of Turgutlu and enter İzmir from the east. The line would run underground, parallel with the M5 Line of the İzmir Metro, connecting to the existing railway at Halkapınar in the city center.

Bilecik–Bursa-Bandırma-Balıkesir high-speed line

The 201 km spur off the Istanbul-Ankara line from Osmaneli to Bandırma through Bursa is under construction and is slated for completion by 2026;^[17] the full line will be built for 200 km/h operation and cost 9.5 billion lira, bringing travel times between Ankara and Bursa to 2 hours and 10 minutes.^[18] The line is 80% complete as of December 2023.^[17]

İstanbul–Edirne–Kapıkule–Svilengrad (Bulgaria) high-speed line

The Ankara to Istanbul high-speed line is to be extended 230 km from Halkalı (a western suburb of Istanbul) all the way to Turkey's borders with Bulgaria and Greece at the vicinity of Kapıkule in the Edirne Province. ^{[citation needed]} Travel times will be reduced from 5 hours to 1 hour assuming non-stop journey between Istanbul terminus and the border post.

Construction began in 2019 and is expected to be finished by 2022.^[19]

Konya–Antalya high-speed railway

Plans

One-third of the budgeted investment has been done and is planned to be completed by 2020.

For high-speed trains, TCDD has a budget of more than 1  billion TL for 2014.^[20]

According to the official (budgeted) and unofficial (announced) plans, 45 of 81 provincial seats will be connected by high-speed services in the long term.^[21]

Konya–Kayseri high-speed line

This line is planned as a section of the Ankara–Antalya high-speed line. The line will used for Ankara–Antalya high-speed line.^{[citation needed]}

Eskişehir-Afyon-Antalya high-speed line

Ordu-Samsun-Çorum-Delice high-speed line

Tendering for the first stage is hoped for 2024.^{[22] [23]}

Connection to Sabiha Gökçen Airport and Istanbul Aırport

This line is planned as a new high-speed rail line.^[24]

Ankara - Nallıhan - Sakarya - Istanbul high-speed rail line

This line is planned as a new high-speed rail line. ^[25]

Ulukışla-Aksaray high-speed rail line

Speed limitations

The YHT operates at a maximum speed of 300 km/h (186 mph)^[3][29] on high-speed tracks. But the YHT also runs on non-high-speed and renewed tracks like the Köseköy-Gebze section of the Ankara–Istanbul high-speed railway where its top speed is 160 km/h (99 mph). Naturally, some speed restrictions also apply in urban sections while accessing the central station, especially in Ankara and Istanbul thus increasing journey times. The speed on these sections is expected to increase once renewal projects in urban areas (like Başkentray and second phase of Marmaray) are completed.

Staff, operation and security

On YHT service, there is usually one train engineer (two on some trains), a train manager (absent in some trips), two train attendants and a café car attendant. Business-class passengers are served meals at their seats if they applied for while buying their tickets. When accessing the trains, passengers must pass a security check like in airports. Maintenance of the sets is done at the Eryaman Yard in Ankara.