Turkey: Bombardier to invest in Turkey’s high-speed rail

by Firat Gazel

BERLIN

The head of Canadian train maker Bombardier said on Wednesday that his company would invest in Turkey's high-speed rail network construction.

Speaking to Firat Gazel, Anadolu Agency's Editor in Chief for Economy-Finance and Energy News, in Berlin, Laurent Troger said Turkey is one of the world's most important railway markets as it connects Europe and the Middle East.

As Turkey invests for high speed railway network to connect Turkish capital and other provinces, Bombardier would participate by investing in a manufacturing plant and maintenance center in the country, Troger said.

“The modernization process is proceeding very fast and government’s commitment of $45 billion investment to the railway sector boosts this importance to further levels," Troger, who on Dec. 9 was named president of the company, said.

According to the president, if the company wins one of the local high-speed train tenders, the techology transfer to Turkey will take place.

“We already have local employees in Turkey. But if we win one of the high-speed train tenders, surely there will be many more Turkish employees," Troger said. "We attach great importance to maintain quality at this point. We commit to providing comprehensive training in a sector which is technology oriented and exciting.”

According to the train maker's chief operating officer, Canadian aerospace and transportation company Bombardier wants local production for high- speed train systems.

"Turkey is one of the most important rail markets in the world. We want to produce high-speed train systems in Turkey with a strong partner.”

The government intends to increase the length of the network to 26,000 kilometers (16,155 miles), nearly double that of today’s 12,485 kilometers (7,757 miles) including 10,116 kilometers (6,285 miles) of high-speed lines.

Railway projects in the country are taking place in the western, eastern and northern parts of the country.

Extending the lines in the east-west direction is especially significant for Turkey's railway infrastructure, to enable connections with the eastern provinces, and to create a transportation corridor, as well as to improve regional development.

Railways are faster than sea transportation and cheaper than airway transportation.

Turkey started to invest in construction of railways a decade ago. But, according to experts, there is a long way ahead for Turkey to develop a dense network of railways.

“We hope to be a key player in the railway sector of Turkey," Troger said. "We would like to transform the Turkish market into a technology-focused, innovative one by boosting the cooperation with local industry."

Troger said that the company has been operating in Turkey since 1986 and has many local employees.