Türkiye’s domestically developed National Electric High-Speed Train reached approximately 250 kilometres per hour during a test run on the Ankara–Kırıkkale line. Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said the road-testing programme is expected to be completed before the end of 2026, after which the train must pass an international certification process.
The train’s planned commercial operating speed is 225 km/h. The roughly 250 km/h recorded during testing is not a new passenger-service speed. It represents a dynamic safety-verification condition about 10% above the intended operating speed. The train has not yet entered normal passenger service, and deployment depends on the successful completion of both testing and certification.
Passenger service targeted for the first quarter of 2027
Uraloğlu said certification could take several months after the remaining tests are completed. If the current schedule is maintained, the government aims to see the train carrying passengers in the first quarter of 2027. That date is a conditional target rather than a confirmed launch: the outstanding technical checks and international approval process still have to be completed.
The Çerkezköy–Kapıkule High-Speed Railway is currently the leading candidate for the train’s initial use. The minister said existing trainsets largely meet demand on other routes, although the domestic units could also be assigned elsewhere when required. A final service plan will depend on certification and operational preparations.
More than 200 tests and 65% local content
According to the latest statement, the train has reached a local-content ratio of 65% and undergone more than 200 tests. The project involves cooperation with ASELSAN and TÜBİTAK. Earlier official technical disclosures said the Train Control and Management System and the traction system were developed in cooperation with ASELSAN.
The eight-car trainset is designed to carry 577 passengers. Official specifications describe an aluminium-bodied vehicle equipped with automatic train-stop technology, climate control, fire detection, audiovisual passenger information and camera systems. The design also includes dedicated spaces and boarding equipment intended to improve access for passengers using wheelchairs.
The publication of those specifications does not mean the train has already received certification for commercial operation. Safety systems must be verified under different speeds and infrastructure conditions, while the certification stage will assess test results against the applicable standards before passenger-service approvals are completed.
Two trainsets are in production
Uraloğlu said two trainsets are now on the production line and that a high-speed train factory in Sakarya is scheduled to open by the end of the year. The ministry’s previously announced production plan targets seven sets in 2027 and another seven in 2028, for a total of 14. These are manufacturing targets, not numbers of trains already delivered or placed in service.
Officials said deficiencies identified during testing were corrected and the findings were incorporated into later production work. Verification of speed, braking, running safety and compatibility with railway infrastructure remains part of the process that must be completed before commercial operation.
The broader programme therefore extends beyond placing a single prototype into service. Its production timetable will still depend on factory readiness, the supply chain and certification results. Progress toward the 14-set target will need to be confirmed through later official delivery and acceptance announcements rather than the current test-drive statement alone.
The Ankara–Kırıkkale run on October 29 marked a visible step in the development programme. The 250 km/h test speed, the 65% local-content ratio and the first-quarter 2027 service target describe different aspects of the project: a validation condition, the current production composition and a timetable that still depends on certification.
