In Turkey, construction has begun on the first section of the planned high-speed rail (HSR) line between Kirikkale and the Black Sea port of Samsun. The Delice – Sungurlu – Corum section covers 120 km and is being built by a consortium consisting of Yapi Merkezi and YSE Yapi. The contract was awarded by Turkish state railway TCDD for around €2.2 billion (TRY 75.3 billion). Seven tunnels, 26 bridges and viaducts are planned, as well as stations in Sungurlu, the industrial zone of Corum and in Corum itself. The line is scheduled to be opened on 3rd January 2030, with trains travelling at speeds of between 200-250 km/h. The tender for the second section, Corum – Havza, is planned for the end of 2025. Once completed, the journey time between Samsun and Ankara will be reduced from over seven hours to around 2 hours 45 minutes.
