ANKARA-İSTANBUL HIGH-SPEED TRAIN PROJECT

With Ankara-Istanbul High Speed Train Project, which is amongst the biggest projects implemented by the Ministry of Transportation, it is aimed to decrease the travel time between Ankara and Istanbul as the biggest cities of our country, to create a fast, secure, and comfortable transportation means, and to increase the share of railways in transportation. The project will be implemented in two stages.

The 1 st Stage of the project is the section of 206 km between Esenkent and Eskisehir . The substructure works of between Esenkent and Eskisehir , which covers the 1 st Stage of Ankara-Istanbul High Speed Train Project, has been initiated on December 5 th , 2003 and it continues at a quick pace.

98% of excavation and 90% of backfill have been completed as earthworks. As for engineering works, 87% of the entire culverts, 82% of irrigating pipe crossings, 29% of underpasses, 69% of river bridges (pile + foundation), and 21% of tunnel constructions have been completed. The substructure construction tender between Sincan and Esenkent will be held on 19.12.2005 and the substructure construction tender between Eskisehir and Inönü will be held on 20.12.2005.

The contract price of the 1 st Stage, the construction works of which have been performed by a consortium established by Spanish OHL Company and ALSIM-ALARKO leaded by the latter, is 459 million Euros, inclusive of insurance premium. However, the approximate cost has been calculated as 628 million Euros together with the estimation increases by reason of maintaining the existing line and increasing the speed from 200 km/h up to 250 km/h . The 1 st Stage of the Project is aimed to be completed in 2006.

The 2 nd Stage of the Project will be implemented in two segments as Köseköy-Vezirhan and Vezirhan-Inönü. The bids were received on August 8 th , 2005 and the contract was awarded to CRCC-CMC-CENGIZ INS.-IC IÇTAS INS. Consortium. The contract will be concluded by the end of the objection period.

Besides, the project works of a segment of 56 km between Köseköy and Gebze, as the continuance of the 2 nd Stage, are about to be finalized.

When Ankara-Istanbul High Speed Train Project is completed, a double-line, electrified, and signaled railroad appropriate for 250 km/h speed between two major cities will be constructed. The travel time between Ankara and Istanbul , which is currently 6 hours and 30 minutes, will be 2 hours and 30 minutes between Ankara and Gebze and 3 hours between Ankara and Istanbul .