Turkey Rail Pass - Turkey Rail Passes

Turkey Rail Pass - Turkish Rail Passes

Explore Turkey, home to Istanbul, where ancient mosques, palaces, and bazaars reflect its diverse history. Continue your journey to Antalya, where its shoreline is known as the Turkish Riviera, highlighted by some of the cleanest beaches in the Mediterranean. The Aegean Coast is another attraction, where the remains of ancient cities, including Troy, are found.

Turkey or Türkiye, officially the Republic of Turkey or Türkiye Cumhuriyeti is a transcontinental country located mainly in Western Asia. Turkey's capital is Istanbul. Istanbul is 50% in Europe and 50% Asia. You can walk a bridge and walk into Asia, or simply take a Istanbul ferry

The State Railways of the Republic of Turkey or Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları, abbreviated as TCDD, is a government-owned national railway company responsible with the ownership and maintenance of railway infrastructure in Turkey, as well as the planning and construction of new lines. TCDD was formed on 4 June 1929 as part of the nationalisation of railways in Turkey.

The Turkish State Railways own and maintain all public railways in Turkey. This includes railway stations, ports, bridges and tunnels, yards and maintenance facilities. In 2016, TCDD controlled an active network of 12,532 km (7,787 mi) of railways, making it the 22nd-largest railway system in the world. Apart from railway infrastructure, TCDD also owns several rail transport companies within Turkey as well as a 50% share of the İzmir-area commuter rail system, İZBAN.

High-speed rail in Turkey began service in 2009. TCDD has branded its high-speed service as Yüksek Hızlı Tren or YHT. YHT currently operates on two lines: the Ankara–Istanbul high-speed railway and the Ankara–Konya high-speed railway. They had previously tried accelerated train, i.e. higher speed rail without necessary upgrades.

On 13 March 2009, the first phase of the Ankara-Istanbul high-speed railway entered service between Ankara and Eskişehir. The YHT service between Ankara and the Pendik railway station in Istanbul's Asian side began on 27 July 2014. The train has 6 daily departures in both directions. On 23 August 2011, the YHT service on the Ankara–Konya high-speed railway was inaugurated.

High-speed rail in Turkey is still developing, with two lines under construction and many more planned. Once the line to İstanbul is completed, travel between Ankara and İstanbul will drop to 3 and a half hours, compared to 5 hours by car. By 2023, the Ministry of Transport expects Turkey's high-speed rail system to increase to 10,000 kilometers.

Turkish Mainline Services

A DE22000 series locomotive pulls the Karesi Express into Menemen
Mainline service or Anahat is the railway's main service. In 2010 mainline services made up for 24% of the railways passenger traffic. Mainline service includes 3 types of trains: Express, Blue Train and Passenger.

Express service is between major cities and are fast, comfortable and equipped with modern air conditioned TVS2000 railcars and only stop at important stations. Express trains have an average operating speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) to 120 km/h (75 mph). The most express service is between İstanbul and Eskişehir with 8 trains daily in each direction. Express service also has overnight trains between major cities far apart (e.g. İstanbul-Kars). These trains have coaches, a dining car and a sleeping car or a couchette car or sometimes both.

The TVS2000 railcars used on mainline service are the most comfortable cars in TCDD's entire fleet. TVS2000 railcars may also be used on International service because international services are considered mainline services within Turkey.

Haydarpaşa station
Haydarpaşa Gar Sk
Rasimpaşa Mah
34716
Kadıköy/Istanbul
Turkey

Haydarpaşa station or Haydarpaşa Garı is a railway station in Istanbul. Until 2012 the station was a major intercity, regional and commuter rail hub as well as the busiest railway station in Turkey. Haydarpaşa, along with Sirkeci station (on the other side of the Bosphorus), are Istanbul's two intercity and commuter railway terminals. As of 19 June 2013 all train service to the station has been indefinitely suspended due to the rehabilitation of the existing line for the new Marmaray commuter rail line. The station building still houses the headquarters for District 1 of the State Railways.

Sirkeci Railway Station
Sirekci İstasyon Cd.
2, Hoca Paşa Mah
34110
Fatih, Istanbul
Turkey

Sirkeci railway station or Sirkeci garı, listed on maps as Istanbul railway station it is a major railway terminal in Istanbul. The terminal is located on the tip of Istanbul's historic peninsula right next to the Golden Horn and just northwest of Gülhane Park and the Topkapı Palace. Sirkeci Terminal, along with Haydarpaşa Terminal on the other side of the Bosphorus, are Istanbul's two intercity and commuter railway terminals. Built in 1890 by the Oriental Railway as the eastern terminus of the world-famous Orient Express, Sirkeci Terminal has become a symbol of the city. In 2013, a new underground station opened to the public and is currently serviced by Marmaray trains travelling across the Bosphorus. Sirkeci Terminal has a total of 4 platforms (3 above, 1 underground) with 7 tracks (5 above, 2 underground). Formerly, commuter trains to Halkalı would depart from tracks 2, 3 and 4 while regional trains to Kapıkule, Edirne and Uzunköprü along with international trains to Bucharest, Sofia and Belgrade would depart from tracks 1 and 5.

Turkey 1 Country Pass

Interrail Turkey Pass (Interrail is a European Rail Pass for Europeans)

Turkey 2 Countries Pass

Travel in 2 bordering countries in Europe.

Eurail Select Pass (Eurail is a European Rail Pass for Non Europeans)

Turkey 3 Countries Pass

Travel in 3 bordering countries in Europe.

Eurail Select Pass

Turkey 4 Countries Pass

Travel in 4 bordering countries in Europe.

Eurail Select Pass

Turkey 7 Countries Pass

Visit Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, and Turkey in first class.

Balkan Flexi Pass

Eurail Global Rail Pass 28 Countries Pass

Enjoy train travel in 28 countries with this one pass!

Eurail Global Pass

Interrrail Global Rail Pass 30 Countries Pass

Enjoy train travel in 30 countries with this one pass!

Interrail Global Pass