The World Bank explains that its loan will help to pay for the construction of a 127-kilometer, electrified, high-capacity rail line across the Bosphorus strait. INRAIL will also bypass the Istanbul metropolitan area, significantly improving capacity along the route.

A transformative project for Türkiye

INRAIL will be a highly impactful project for transport and the broader economy of the area, says the World Bank. “This project is a strategic and transformative investment for Turkey. By eliminating the critical railway bottleneck in the Bosphorus strait, it will enhance the resilience and efficiency of railway infrastructure, increasing Turkey’s competitiveness and strengthening its role as a logistics hub”, the Bank quotes its Türkiye Country Director, J. Humberto Lopez, as saying.

“Indeed, the project will accelerate growth, create jobs, and contribute to more sustainable transportation. Furthermore, INRAIL will benefit the wider region by enabling the transport of goods between Europe and Central Asia, connecting to other international corridors such as the Middle Corridor and the Development Route, which provides traffic between Europe and the Gulf via Iraq. In fact, this is much more than just building a bridge; it’s about connecting continents.”

In total, rail freight capacity across the Bosphorus should grow from 3 million tonnes annually to 50 million tonnes.

However, the key upgrade provided by the 125-kilometre long INRAIL line is its massive capacity boost. Rail freight operations across the Bosphorus now take place during limited nighttime hours through the Marmaray tunnel. This facilitated a total of just 1.7 million tonnes of cross-Bosphorus rail freight between 2020 and October 2025, Reuters reports on the basis of official Turkish data.

By contrast, the Northern Ring Railway project should allow for 33 million passengers annually and 30 million tonnes of freight. This should also make Türkiye a more attractive option on the Middle Corridor as well, Ankara hopes.

Fast freight across many bridges and tunnels

INRAIL was valued at 8.1 billion dollars in 2025. It features 22 kilometres of bridges and viaducts and around 60 kilometres of tunnels. The maximum speed for freight trains is planned to be 120 kilometres per hour.

Preliminary funding deals were reached with the World Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, OPEC Fund for International Development and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Turkish transport minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said.

Türkiye hopes to complete tenders this year and start construction soon.

As such, TRIPP could not only provide some welcome redundancy and diversification, but also speed up transportation on the Middle Corridor. That might make the China-Europe route more attractive compared to the Northern Route through Russia or maritime routes.

Raw materials

At the same time, the EU highlights the importance of such infrastructure for its own economic security. For example, Türkiye, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan are among the EU’s main global suppliers of borates, phosphorus, and antimony. These resources are used in industrial applications.

“Enhanced connectivity could strengthen EU–Central Asia resource linkages, helping reduce dependency on single suppliers, integrate regional producers into EU value chains, and foster balanced, sustainable growth across the region”, the EU writes.

The Union adds that additional investment in feeder lines to access resources could “substantially enhance” the EU’s access to critical raw materials.

The contract is for British Steel’s 60E2 rail, which will be delivered throughout 2026 in 36 metre lengths.

Türkiye will use the rails to build a 599-kilometre high-speed line between capital city Ankara and coastal İzmir. The railway will provide freight and passengers alike with faster and more efficient rail service, according to British Steel. An added benefit is a reduction in the transport sector’s carbon output. The Turkish State Railways will operate the Ankara-İzmir high-speed line.

Turkish infrastructure – British jobs

Commercial director Harvey pointed out that British Steel had cooperated previously with ERG for the same project. “We have a distinguished record of supplying into high-speed rail projects across the world and have previously delivered rail into Türkiye through ERG for earlier phases of the Ankara to Izmir line.”

“For this new agreement, we were again able to comply with the demanding technical specifications and the project delivery schedule which we can support with a robust logistics supply chain.”

The supply of British steel for the Turkish railway network consequently has positive effects on both ends of Europe. “Every tonne of British made steel used in projects at home and abroad helps sustain skilled employment and reinforces its quality for the world’s most ambitious engineering projects”, the UK’s Industry Minister Chris McDonald commented on the deal. British jobs, Turkish infrastructure.

Rail works in Türkiye

Türkiye is currently working on improving and expanding its rail infrastructure. It is building new railways, notably from Istanbul to the European Union and to Azerbaijan via the corridor through Armenia for international connections. Ankara has also grown the length of signalled lines from 2,505 kilometres to 8,419 kilometres in the past 23 years.

Moreover, the existing railway network of around 14,000 kilometres will be expanded with approximately 4,000 kilometres of high-speed rail lines which are currently under construction. These will be equipped with ETCS signaling systems.

The finished vehicle service follows Railport’s earlier operational start, when the terminal launched intermodal services with its first container train in November 2025. Railport is Türkiye’s first private intermodal terminal and a joint venture between Arkas Holding and duisport.

Multi-partner rail operation

Duisport underlined that the finished vehicle transport was conducted with Mars Logistics acting as the logistics service provider. KoçZer led strategic procurement and process management, while Körfez Ulaştırma was responsible for the continuous execution of rail operations. Transwaggon Group supplied the wagons used for transport.

The terminal itself is equipped with infrastructure specifically designed for handling finished vehicles. Railport covers approximately 22,000 square metres and has a finished vehicle parking capacity of 1,563 vehicles. Dedicated ramps enable import and export operations of finished vehicles by rail.

Focus on rail-based vehicle logistics

With the completion of its first finished vehicle rail operation, Railport is now extending its activities beyond containers to automotive logistics by rail. According to duisport, the terminal aims to support more efficient and environmentally friendly transport by shifting freight to rail and integrating it into intermodal supply chains.

The operator said the development forms part of its broader strategy to expand rail-based logistics solutions in Türkiye, following the terminal’s initial operational launch in late 2025.

Becoming a hub

Railport is located around 150 kilometres southeast of Istanbul, at the heart of the Iron Silk Road corridor. Construction of the terminal started in September 2023 and was developed in cooperation with Arkas Holding and duisport.

Earlier reporting by RailFreight.com noted that, once fully developed, Railport is expected to handle containers, general cargo, trailers, and finished vehicles, supported by advanced operational systems and intermodal connectivity. The terminal has also implemented a dedicated terminal operating system to manage and optimise rail and road flows.

Diesel locomotives are still a necessity in Türkiye since roughly only half of its network is electrified and there are various steep and mountainous lines which require a lot of power. However, TCDD is expanding its electric fleet as well to keep up with the government’s effort to electrify 90% of the network over the coming years. For example, in May, the company received the first five of 95 electric locomotives E5000, domestically produced by Türasaş and with the full delivery scheduled for 2028.

Another key project is a connection between phosphate mines and the port of Tartus to facilitate higher export volumes. Damascus also wants to restore the Deir Ez-Zor–Al-Bukamal line near the Iraqi border.

A link to the world

However, most of all, Syria intends to restore the railway connection to Türkiye. That would provide the country with a solid transport connection to its largest neighbour, which itself is connected overland to China via the Middle Corridor and has solid links to Europe.

At the same time, restoring the rail network is easier said than done. Major obstacles persist. The transport ministry spokesperson noted shortages of necessary materials and specialised equipment, a lack of trained staff, funding limitations, and the absence of local companies with sufficient expertise to participate in the projects.

In October, transport minister Yarub Badr said that Syria needs around 5.5 billion dollars to repair and upgrade its railways to international standards. Only 1,052 kilometres of the 2,800 kilometre network are operational as of now.

Iran currently has one rail corridor to Türkiye. It runs from Marand to the Turkish city Van, but that is where rail infrastructure ends. The Marand-Cheshmeh Sorayya railway would also not directly link to Turkish rail, since there is none on the other side of the border. However, officials from both countries met in April to discuss an extended connection to Kars.

Türkiye is working on a railway from Kars to the Azerbaijani exclave Nakhchivan, which borders Iran. It is possible that this new Iranian railway will, in due time, link up to that corridor. That would secure a rail-only corridor from Iran to Europe, facilitating China-Europe traffic along the southern overland route.

“The first train departure from Railport is a tangible demonstration of the contribution our terminal will make to rail transportation in Türkiye”, commented the terminal’s director Fatih Yılmazkarasu. “This operation marks the beginning of our long term strategy aimed at enabling more effective use of intermodal transportation nationwide and offering competitive solutions to our customers.”

German involvement

Turkish terminal operator Arkas Holding cooperated with the German terminal operator duisport for the construction of Railport. Earlier, duisport told RailFreight.com that Türkiye’s strategic location as a bridge between east and west played a big, but not necessarily a decisive role in their decision to build Railport.

Duisport also cited the Turkish chemical industry and under-construction BYD automotive plant as important drivers. Moreover, it foresees the local electronics and consumer goods sectors growing substantially by the time Railport is completed.

“This railway line, which is over 6,500 kilometers long, plans to connect Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, to Zahedan via Tehran and the Razi border in [Iran’s province of] West Azerbaijan to Istanbul. The last train service was in August 2022, but it was halted due to technical issues, delays at customs, and infrastructure damage caused by widespread flooding. Now, with a new agreement between the three countries, this line will be operational again by the end of December 2025”, Karimi Ghahi told Turkish media.

A geoeconomic move

“The revival of this route is not just a transportation project”, Ghahi added. “It is also a geoeconomic move that could redefine Iran’s position on the Eurasian trade map.” Iran hopes to position itself as a land bridge for energy and freight supply chains between Islamic countries.

“With the resumption of the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul train service, hopes for expanding economic cooperation, increasing goods transit, and establishing new ties among regional countries have been revived more than ever. Iran is at the center of this route”, Ghahi concluded.