Turkey: Indigenous electric train to serve by year-end

By Onur Orhan and Omer Faruk Cebeci

SAKARYA, Turkey (AA) - First Turkish-made electric train, with its tests to be conducted on Aug. 30, will start serving before the end of this year, transport and infrastructure minister said on Monday.

"Aluminum body production, painting, sandblasting tests of the train set were put into operation in 2019," Adil Karaismailoglu said during his visit to the Turkish Wagon Industry (TUVASAS) plant in the country's northwestern province of Sakarya.

The design and operating speeds of the first train set produced were planned as 176 kilometers per hour (109.3 miles per hour), and 160 km/h (99.4 mi/h), respectively.

"We work on domestic-made high-speed train which is capable of hitting over 225 km/h [139.8 mi/h]," noted Karaismailoglu.

The indigenous manufacturing of the train serves as a locomotive for the development of the domestic industry, he stressed.

The train set, comprising of five vehicles, has a 324-seat capacity, the minister underlined.

"There will be priority parts allocated for disabled people," he added.

* Writing by Tuba Sahin in Ankara