The Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure announced that the first national electric high-speed train reached a speed of 250 kilometers per hour during dynamic safety tests, compared with 240 kilometers per hour in previous tests. The train consists of eight carriages with a capacity of 577 passengers, featuring control and traction systems developed domestically in cooperation with ASELSAN.
The first national electric high-speed train in Turkey reached a speed of 250 kilometers per hour during dynamic safety tests, according to a written statement issued by Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu and published on September 1, 2026. The figure represents an increase from the previous speed of 240 kilometers per hour, but it does not mean that the train has entered commercial service yet.
Türkiye Raylı Sistem Araçları Sanayii AŞ, known by the abbreviation TÜRASAŞ, is conducting tests on the train in different stages. In-motion safety tests began on the Gebze–Eskişehir route, while tests between Eskişehir and Polatlı are continuing successfully. Uraloğlu said that trials would continue according to the specified program and under different operating conditions and speeds, with the aim of completing verification of the train’s ability to operate safely, comfortably, and with high performance.
What distinguishes the train?
The train consists of eight carriages with an aluminum structure and has a capacity of 577 passengers. The equipment mentioned by the ministry includes an automatic train-stop system, electromechanical doors for passenger entry, a fully automated air-conditioning system, fire alarm systems, screens and audio-visual components for passenger guidance, as well as surveillance cameras.
Among the main systems, the minister highlighted the train control and management system and the traction system, saying that both were designed and produced entirely domestically in cooperation with ASELSAN. According to the information in the statement, this gives the project a dimension that goes beyond manufacturing the train’s body, as it includes the development of essential operational components related to control and movement.
What changes in practice?
The announced achievement is progress in the testing phase, not an announcement of a commercial operating date or final approval for the train on the passenger network. The designated operating speed for the trainset is 225 kilometers per hour, while the test speed reached 250 kilometers per hour. Therefore, the open question remains when the various verification tests will be completed and the train will move into actual operation, a date that the source did not specify.
In terms of the user experience, the train includes food and beverage vending machines and kitchen areas, along with two compartments designated for passengers with disabilities and elevators that help wheelchair users board the carriage from the platform and disembark from it. These details show that the project targets an integrated national train for high-speed journeys, rather than merely increasing the maximum speed during tests.
Editorial reading: The importance of the news lies in the project’s approach to an advanced verification stage and in the inclusion of domestic control and traction systems in a high-speed train intended to operate at 225 kilometers per hour. However, the available data confirms only an improvement in test results; it does not yet provide information about the operating schedule, the number of trains, final certification results, or commercial performance on the network.