Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that the "National High-Speed Train" project, a crucial milestone in Türkiye's railway history, is nearing completion. With the final hours of 2025 approaching, Minister Uraloğlu stated, "We will begin testing in the coming days," indicating that this national pride will be on the rails by the beginning of 2026.
Turkey is shedding its "importer" identity by transferring the engineering capabilities it acquired from the defense industry to rail systems. Speaking on the "Mesele Özel" program on Haber Global, Minister Uraloğlu announced that the prototype phase of the National High-Speed Train sets, developed by TÜRASAŞ (Turkish Rail Systems Vehicles Industry Inc.) and capable of reaching speeds of 225 kilometers per hour, has been completed, and dynamic test drives will begin in early 2026.
Billions of Euros in Savings: The Economic Cost of Domestic Production
Minister Uraloğlu's statements reveal that the project is not only a matter of technological prestige but also a massive economic savings initiative. The financial dimension of the import substitution strategy in the railway sector is summarized with these striking figures:
- High-Speed Train (HST) Sets: Minister Uraloğlu stated that the purchase cost of a single high-speed train set in the international market is... 30 million Euros (approximately over 1 billion TL at the current exchange rate) He emphasized that this is the case. With Türkiye expanding its railway network as part of its 2053 vision, these train sets will be deployed in the coming years. hundreds of It is stated that there will be a need for these sets. Producing these sets domestically will ensure that billions of Euros remain within the country, just in terms of purchasing costs.
- Electric Locomotive (E5000): A similar picture applies to freight and mainline passenger transportation. The international market value of one domestically produced E5000 type electric locomotive is... 6-7 million dollars at this level. With mass production, these costs will be covered by domestic resources, directly contributing to closing the current account deficit.
- Export Capacity and Supporting Industries: The economic impact is not limited to "savings" alone. Minister Uraloğlu stated that local entrepreneurs operating in Sivas and included in the TÜRASAŞ ecosystem (e.g., Gök Yapı) are opening up to the European market with the wagons they produce, and that in the coming period... The order books were completely full for 2 years. He stated that this situation proves that Türkiye has become a "production hub" that not only meets its own needs but also exports technology to Europe.
225 km/h Speed and 2026 Test Schedule
The National High-Speed Train, whose design and prototyping processes have been completed, will operate on existing high-speed rail lines and newly opened high-speed rail corridors (such as Ankara-Izmir, Halkalı-Kapıkule).
- Speed and Capacity: The train, with an operating speed of 225 km/h, is equipped with a modern aerodynamic structure and domestically produced traction systems.
- Critical Calendar: The train, which is scheduled to roll off the production line by the end of 2025, is expected to begin dynamic testing on the rails in the first quarter of 2026.
- Mass production: Following the successful completion of tests, it is planned that the mass production line will accelerate by 2027 and the vehicle will take its place in the TCDD Transportation fleet.
"Complete Independence" with the Native Ecosystem“
The success of these projects is largely due to the "stakeholder management model" applied in the defense industry. In the process, which is carried out under the main contracting of TÜRASAŞ; ASELSAN (train control and management systems), TÜBİTAK RUTE (traction motor and battery technologies) and hundreds of domestic subcontractors work together in a "team" spirit. This structure safeguards Türkiye's railway transportation against possible international embargoes or supply chain crises.
Keywords: National High-Speed Train 2026, TÜRASAŞ, Economic Savings, Railway Exports, E5000 Locomotive, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, Domestic Production.
