Turkiye railway station modernization links heritage and access

Turkiye railway station modernization moved forward last year with the rehabilitation and modernization of 60 railway stations and stops, as reported by RailwayPro, supporting both the protection of historical heritage and the quality of rail transport services.

“Our railway stations and stops are not just places where passengers get on and off trains. They are places that preserve the memory of our cities. By renovating these buildings, we are preserving their historical identity while creating more comfortable, accessible, and modern spaces for citizens,” said Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.

TCDD station modernization program and heritage protection

Turkiye currently has more than 948 stations and stops across the country. Under the TCDD station modernization program, work on stations and stops of historical value was completed with the approval of the Protection Councils under the authority of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Meanwhile, the projects covered architecture, static structures, electrical and mechanical installations, along with landscaping, and were carried out with great rigor.

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“We have renovated 60 stations, preserving their historical identity and adapting them to modern needs. We also prioritize seismic safety. We have carried out structural reinforcement work in 16 stations. The mechanical and electrical systems have been modernized in line with current requirements, and we have preserved the historical identity by using the original materials and colors,” explained the minister.

Turkiye railway station modernization and accessibility upgrades

Also, significant accessibility upgrades were included in Turkiye railway station modernization. At seven stations, ticket offices, waiting rooms, and platforms were adapted for passengers with disabilities. At the same time, these measures formed part of the wider effort to modernize historical railway stations in Turkiye while aligning them with current operational and social needs.

Expanded rail network in Turkiye

Separately, Turkiye’s broader railway development has accelerated since railways became a state policy in 2003. With the commissioning of the high-speed train network in Turkiye, the country became the sixth high-speed train operator in Europe and the eighth in the world.

Over the past two decades, Turkiye built 2,971 km of railway lines, expanding the network from 10,948 km in 2003 to 13,919 km today. In addition, during the same period, the technical capacity of the infrastructure improved significantly. The share of double-track lines rose from 5% to 18%, the length of lines equipped with signaling systems increased from 2,505 km to 8,419 km, and the length of electrified lines grew from 2,122 km to 7,274 km.

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