Turkey is a popular tourist destination. However, most of the tourist traffic enters the country via planes. A new railway project wants to connect Turkey to Europe. 
Although the project is just being announced, apparently 85% of it is already done. The railway project will connect Turkey to the ports of the Baltic, Black, North and Mediterranean seas. Not only that, but the new railway will connect Istanbul with the rest of Turkey.
The entire line will have 6 stations, two viaducts, 16 railway bridges and 10 cut-and-cover tunnels. It will also include 59 overpasses, 59 underpasses and 193 vents, along with four underpasses and six overpasses to facilitate animal crossing. The 3 "European" stations will be Çerkezköy-Kapıkule, Halkalı-Ispartakule and Ispartakule-Çerkezköy.
The travel time between Halkalı and Kapıkule will be reduced to 3.5 hours instead of the current 8 hours for the freight trains. The passenger trains will travel this distance , 230 kilometers, will take 1.5 hours.
The railway project is also funded by the European Union and has the budget of 500 million Euros.
Although the project is just being announced, apparently 85% of it is already done. The railway project will connect Turkey to the ports of the Baltic, Black, North and Mediterranean seas. Not only that, but the new railway will connect Istanbul with the rest of Turkey.
The entire line will have 6 stations, two viaducts, 16 railway bridges and 10 cut-and-cover tunnels. It will also include 59 overpasses, 59 underpasses and 193 vents, along with four underpasses and six overpasses to facilitate animal crossing. The 3 "European" stations will be Çerkezköy-Kapıkule, Halkalı-Ispartakule and Ispartakule-Çerkezköy.
The travel time between Halkalı and Kapıkule will be reduced to 3.5 hours instead of the current 8 hours for the freight trains. The passenger trains will travel this distance , 230 kilometers, will take 1.5 hours.
The railway project is also funded by the European Union and has the budget of 500 million Euros.