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Turkey’s giant project begins: Ankara-Izmir traveling distance will be decreased to 3 hours

Signatures were signed for the financing of $2.3 billion for the Ankara-Izmir High Speed ​​Train Line Project (AIYHT), which will connect Ankara and Izmir in an uninterrupted and comfortable way.

The loan agreement was signed on 17 December 2021 with the participation of more than 20 international banks. The official presentation of the project and the financing provided was held in London on March 17, 2022 as part of the “United Kingdom – Turkey Environmental Finance Conference” with the participation of the Treasury and Finance Minister Nureddin Nebati and the British Trade Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

British Trade Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said in a statement, “Turkey is a critical trading partner for the UK. From this perspective, it is quite normal that the UK’s largest external infrastructure financing agreement has a strong continuity.”

Treasury and Finance Minister Nureddin Nebati stated that the agreement will have a green financing structure and said, “We are very pleased with the long-standing strong cooperation with the UK and we hope to further strengthen this cooperation in the future.”

Credit Suisse and Standard Chartered banks will manage the financing provided by important credit institutions operating in England, Switzerland, Austria and Italy for the electric railway to be built between Ankara and Izmir Port.

While it is noteworthy that the financing provided for the project is the largest infrastructure export financing provided by the UK to date, this situation is also confirmed as an indicator of confidence in the Turkish economy.

THE PROJECT, TO BE THE GATE OF EMPLOYMENT, WILL BE COMPLETED IN 42 MONTHS

When the aforementioned Ankara-Izmir High-Speed Project, undertaken by the ERG UK & ERG Turkey & SSB AG Joint Venture under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, is completed, the travel time between Ankara and Izmir will be reduced to 3 hours.

In the first phase of the project, Ankara-Afyon will be put into service. In the second stage, Afyon-Manisa will be opened for use, and in the third and final stage, YHT will start to serve between Manisa and Izmir.

While the project is aimed to be completed in 42 months, a total of 22 thousand people will be employed during the construction and operation phases.

WORLD GIANTS COMPETE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROJECT

For the machinery and equipment to be used in the design and engineering works of the project, under the leadership of ERG International Group, the world-leading companies of many European countries, especially England, Switzerland, Austria and Italy, are in line to become a solution partner. While the traffic of interviews is carried out meticulously in order to identify the companies in question, it is foreseen that business partners will start working as soon as possible.

SAFE AND SOUND TRAVEL WITH YHT

The 503.3-kilometer YHT line will pass through the provincial borders of Ankara, Eskisehir, Afyonkarahisar, Kutahya, Usak, Manisa and Izmir, and under its operation, stations and stations will serve in Emirdag, Afyonkarahisar, Usak, Salihli, Turgutlu and Manisa regions.

Within the scope of the project, which was delivered in February, 7 stations and 3 big stations will be built. While the construction works of 24 tunnels, more than 30 bridges and viaducts are carried out on a 24/7 basis, 36-meter-long rails with the latest technology and specially produced for high-speed train lines will be used.

While the high-speed train line provides high speed and comfort with the switch systems to be produced specifically for the project, YHT will be the address of safe and secure travel with the flawless software to be used, signaling and communication systems.

INVESTMENT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THERMAL TOURISM

The investment will not only connect Ankara and Izmir uninterruptedly but will also facilitate the transportation of important centers such as Afyon, one of Turkey’s most important thermal tourism centers, to Ankara. All other natural beauties, including the thermal springs that Afyon offers, as well as its cultural and historical background, and its rich cuisine will now be accessible to the people of Ankara for daily use and easily. In this way, serious contributions will be made to the domestic tourism and economy of Afyon province.

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PROJECT

During the manufacturing, construction and operation periods of the High-Speed ​​Train Line Project, national and international rules will be complied with at the highest level, and the investment will be realized in a way that respects the environment and nature. Cultural heritage and natural assets on the environmentally friendly investment line, where ‘green’ will be protected and renewed. The fact that all 4 plant species discovered during the project work of the investment were brought to the scientific world was an indicator of the integration of the YHT line with nature even before it was built.

Source: Sabah / Translated by Irem Yildiz

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