Turkish High-Speed Countdown Begins

Spanish rail company CAF will provide the first set of two high-speed trains for the Turkish railway while the second will be ready in six months, Turkish State Railways (TCDD) has announced.

Turkey's first high-speed train will conduct its initial dynamic test drives between the cities of Ankara and Eski°ehir at the end of October after the ceremony marking the 84th anniversary of the Turkish Republic, according to Turkish publication Zaman.

The trains, expected to run at speeds of 250km/h, are to complete test drives by the middle of next year, says Zaman.

The high-speed train project is one of the biggest projects carried out by the Turkish Ministry of Transportation and aims to decrease travel time between major cities.