Turkey's new ultra-high-speed trains come into service

The first of the new turquoise multiple unit ultra-high-speed trains came into service on the Ankara-Konya high-speed railway line on Sunday, after its test drive was completed. Turkish State Railways High-Speed Train Regional Manager Abdurrahman Genç said that the ultra-high-speed multiple unit has some of the highest standards in the world, adding that it is one of the best vehicles around in terms of travel comfort, safety devices and vehicle properties. As the first one of seven multiple units that have been ordered from the German Siemens company, the train is able to speed up to 320 kilometers per hour. As a hi-tech product, the new high-speed multiple unit is equipped with high-security systems that are also found in existing units.

Genç said department has ordered seven ultra-high-speed multiple unit trains to be deployed on the Ankara-Konya, Ankara-Eskişehir, Ankara-Istanbul and Istanbul-Konya high-speed railway lines as well as the Ankara- Sivas, Ankara-İzmir, Konya- Karaman and Bursa-Bilecik high-speed railway lines that are under construction. Stressing that high-speed multiple units have the best safety standards in the world, Genç said that the most important advantage of a multiple unit train is that it reaches an operating speed of 320 kilometers per hour, while other ultra-high speed multiple unit trains can only go up to 250 kilometers per hour. Emphasizing that trains can operate on all lines, Genç said that the remaining six multiple units are being constructed and they will be delivered as of the first half of 2016.