The long-awaited date for Thrace has finally been announced! The first whistle is blowing on the giant project that will shorten the distance between Istanbul and Edirne. 🎉
The 153-kilometer Çerkezköy – Kapıkule section of the Halkalı – Kapıkule High-Speed Railway will officially open on Friday, October 9 at 14:00 at Babaeski Station, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in attendance! 🗓️📍
Once the entire project is complete, the Istanbul – Edirne train journey, which currently takes about 4 hours, will drop to just 1.5 hours (80–90 minutes). Transportation in Thrace is about to change completely!
🗓️ Opening date: Friday, October 9, 14:00 (Babaeski Station)
🚄 Speed: 200 km/h
⚡ Infrastructure: Double-track, electrified and signalized
🛤️ First section opening: 153 km (Çerkezköy – Edirne / Kapıkule)
🌍 Connection to Europe: The line connects directly to the Bulgarian border and the European rail network
The line passes through four provinces, connecting Istanbul to Kapıkule, Türkiye's gateway to Europe:
📍 Istanbul: Halkalı – Ispartakule – Çatalca
📍 Tekirdağ: Çerkezköy
📍 Kırklareli: Büyükkarıştıran – Lüleburgaz – Babaeski
📍 Edirne: Havsa – City Center – Kapıkule
Once the project is complete, it will save significant time for both passenger and freight transport:
🚆 Passenger trains: From 4 hours down to 1.5 hours
🚛 Freight trains: From 8.5 hours down to 3.5 hours
This is an important step not only for people living in Thrace but also for Türkiye's trade with Europe. With the line connecting to the Bulgarian border and the European rail network, Kapıkule is becoming a true gateway to Europe. 🇪🇺
The section opening on October 9 is the Çerkezköy – Kapıkule line, the first and longest stage of the project. Once the Halkalı – Ispartakule and Ispartakule – Çerkezköy sections on the Istanbul side are also completed, passengers boarding at Halkalı will be able to travel to Edirne without interruption.
Once the line is fully in service, taking a morning train from Istanbul for a weekend day trip to Edirne will be easy. 🚅
🕌 Visit the Selimiye Mosque, which Mimar Sinan called his masterpiece
🍖 Taste the famous Edirne-style fried liver (tava ciğer)
🌉 Take a stroll across the historic bridges
and be back in Istanbul in time for dinner! Exploring Thrace has never been this easy. ✨
