Konya–Yenice railway

The Konya-Yenice railway (Turkish: Konya-Yenice demiryolu) is 344.7 km (214.2 mi) long, partially electrified railway in southern Turkey. The railway is a major route connecting Turkey's Mediterranean coast to the Anatolian interior as well as the only railway line through the Taurus Mountains. The line begins in Konya and runs southeast through Karaman until turning south at Ulukışla and joining the Adana–Mersin railway at Yenice.

Konya-Yenice railway Konya-Yenice demiryolu
A freight train passing through Pozantı.
Overview
Owner	Turkish State Railways
Locale	Konya Plain Taurus Mountains Çukurova
Termini	Konya Yenice
Service
Type	Heavy rail, Higher-speed rail
System	Turkish State Railways
Operator(s)	TCDD Taşımacılık Körfez Ulaştırma Omsan
History
Opened	25 October 1904[1] (first section) 9 October 1918[1] (final section)
Technical
Line length	344.7 km (214.2 mi)
Number of tracks	2 (Konya-Karaman) 1 (Karaman-Yenice)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	25 kV, 50 Hz AC overhead line
Operating speed	200 km (120 mi) (Konya-Karaman)
Route map Polatlı-Konya HSR to Ankara Eskişehir-Konya railway to Afyon & Eskişehir 0 km 0 mi Konya D.696 20.3 km 12.6 mi Kaşınhanı 44.2 km 27.5 mi Çumra Çumra Sugar Factory 61.9 km 38.5 mi Arıkören Konya Province Karaman Province 102.2 km 63.5 mi Karaman Layover yard End of electrification Sudurağı Ayrancı D.350 Böğecik bypass Böğecik Karaman Province Konya Province Ereğli Bulgurlu Çakmak Konya Province Niğde Province Tepeköy bypass Boğazköprü-Ulukışla railway to Kayseri Start of electrification Ulukışla Gümüş Toroslar-1 D.750 Toroslar-2 Toroslar-3 Toroslar-4 Toroslar-5 Toroslar-6 Toroslar-7 Çiftehan Toroslar-8 Toroslar-9 Toroslar-10 Toroslar-11 Toroslar-12 Toroslar-13 Toroslar-14 Toroslar-15 Pozantı Toroslar-16 Toroslar-17 Toroslar-18 Toroslar-19 Belemedik Toroslar-20 Toroslar-21 Toroslar-22 Toroslar-23 Toroslar-24 Toroslar-25 Toroslar-26 Toroslar-27 Toroslar-28 Toroslar-29 Toroslar-30 Toroslar-31 Hacıkırı Toroslar-32 Karaisali Bucağı Toroslar-33 Toroslar-34 Toroslar-36 Toroslar-37 Kelebek Durak Adana-Mersin railway to Mersin Yenice Adana-Mersin railway to Adana

The Konya-Yenice railway was built by the Baghdad Railway mainly between 1904 and 1912, with the final 36 km (22 mi) gap completed in 1918.[1] It served an important role during World War I in transporting troops and materiel to the fronts in Mesopotamia and Palestine. Numerous engineering works were undertaken to build through the steep Taurus Mountains, the most famous of them being the Varda Viaduct.

The first section of the route, between Konya and Karaman, is an electrified, double track, higher-speed railway expected to host YHT high-speed train service in late 2021. This 106 km (66 mi) long section of the railway allows for speeds up to 200 km/h (120 mph), making it the fastest conventional railway in Turkey, excluding dedicated high-speed rail lines.[2] East of Karaman, the railway is also progressively being upgraded to allow YHT and high-capacity freight services. To that end the second section from Karaman to Ulukışla is currently being renewed and upgraded. For the third and last section, from Ulukışla to Yenice, tender process have been achieved.