Turkiye begins mass production of aluminium-bodied high-speed trains

Turkiye is moving into a new phase of domestic high-speed train manufacturing, with its first locally developed high-speed electric train now entering mass production. A key feature of the new train is its aluminium body, while the project also brings together locally developed rail systems and a new manufacturing facility in Sakarya.

State-owned TÜRASAŞ - Türkiye Raylı Sistem Araçları Sanayii has started manufacturing the second train set, as the first continues its testing programme. The authorities plan to produce 14 trains over 2027 and 2028, marking a shift from prototype development towards series production.

Aluminium bodies at the centre of the new train programme

Each high-speed train will comprise eight railcars with aluminium bodies and will have a capacity of 577 passengers. The trains are designed for a maximum commercial operating speed of 225 km/h.

The first train set has already reached 250 km/h during dynamic safety tests, following an earlier test run at 240 km/h. Testing is continuing on routes established by TÜRASAŞ.

The move into production comes as the Turkish authorities seek to establish a domestic fleet of high-speed trains. The production programme calls for seven train sets in 2027, followed by another seven in 2028.

“Whilst testing of our first train set continues successfully, we have begun production of the second high-speed train. We have thus moved on to the mass production phase,” said the Turkish minister.

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Localised systems support the new high-speed trains

Alongside the aluminium-bodied railcars, Turkiye is focusing on developing key train systems domestically.

The Train Control and Management System (TCMS) and traction system were designed and manufactured in collaboration with ASELSAN. The trains will also feature fully automatic air conditioning, audio and visual passenger information systems, CCTV cameras, fire detection systems and electromechanical doors.

Accessibility has also been incorporated into the train design, with dedicated spaces for people with reduced mobility and facilities for wheelchair access.

These developments form part of the broader effort to move the train from a domestically developed prototype into a series-produced vehicle, with the second set now under manufacture.

New Sakarya factory to support series production

The next stage of the programme will be supported by TÜRASAŞ’s new high-speed train factory in Sakarya, where construction is now 90 per cent complete.

The facility covers approximately 18,000 square metres and is being developed to bring production, assembly and testing processes together under one roof. Once completed, it will have a stated production capacity of one high-speed train per month.

With the second train set now entering production and the first still undergoing testing, the project is moving beyond its prototype phase. The planned production of 14 train sets in 2027 and 2028 is intended to support the creation of a national high-speed train fleet, with aluminium forming the basis of the train bodies.

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