TÜRASAŞ Launches 160 km/h EMUs on Uzunköprü–Halkalı

TURKIYE – TÜRASAŞ, Turkey’s state-owned rolling stock manufacturer, introduced its domestically developed electric multiple units on the Uzunköprü–Halkalı–Uzunköprü line on 22 July 2025, expanding the corridor’s capacity to 324 passengers per train. The EMUs, capable of 160 km/h, replace a locomotive-hauled service that had run for nearly two decades with five railcars. This is the first route expansion for the domestic EMU family, which entered commercial operation in 2023.

What Are the Technical Specifications?

The TÜRASAŞ-built regional EMU seats 322 passengers with two additional wheelchair positions, for a total capacity of 324. Each trainset is equipped with modern passenger information systems, reduced-mobility access, and complies with European comfort and safety standards. Since entering service in 2023, these units have completed 11,551 journeys and covered over 1.122 million km (Source: TÜRASAŞ via Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, 2025).

Key Technical Data

Where Does This Technology Stand in the Market?

The TÜRASAŞ EMU’s 160 km/h top speed and 324-passenger capacity place it squarely in the European regional-train segment. Stadler’s FLIRT platform, deployed in over 20 countries, offers a similar maximum speed and flexible configurations from 150 to 600 seats (Source: Stadler, 2024). Siemens’ Desiro family provides 160 km/h operation with seating capacities reaching 330 per trainset (Source: Siemens Mobility, 2023). The Turkish fleet’s accumulated 1.122 million km of service is modest compared with mature regional fleets, but it demonstrates a domestically manufactured option that reduces reliance on imports. Turkey’s broader rail plans include connecting 27 cities by high-speed rail by 2035, up from 20 in 2025, and a $6.75 billion Bosphorus rail upgrade has been secured to boost freight capacity (Source: GlobalData, 2025; Railfreight, 2026).

Editor’s Analysis

The Uzunköprü–Halkalı rollout signals that TÜRASAŞ is moving from certification to sustained production and route expansion, potentially displacing locomotive-hauled stock across Turkey’s regional network. With over $5 billion in transport infrastructure financing in 2025 and the government targeting 27 high-speed rail-connected cities by 2035, the domestic EMU programme appears positioned for significant scale-up. However, without disclosed unit costs and delivery schedules, the commercial viability of the series relative to established European suppliers remains difficult to assess.

FAQ

Q: What is the capacity and top speed of Turkey’s new domestic EMU?
A: The TÜRASAŞ regional EMU has 322 seated places, two wheelchair spaces, for a total of 324 passengers, and runs at a maximum speed of 160 km/h. It entered commercial service in 2023 and has carried over 2.63 million passengers to date.

Q: Which routes do the TÜRASAŞ EMUs serve?
A: They began on the Adapazarı–Gebze regional line and were added to the Uzunköprü–Halkalı corridor on 22 July 2025. This connects Edirne province with Istanbul’s Halkalı terminal.

Q: What is the cost of the TÜRASAŞ EMU trainsets?
A: No procurement value or per-unit cost has been disclosed by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. The manufacturer has not released a public price list.