Title: "279.4 Million People Utilized Railways in 2024"
Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that 279 million 426 thousand 382 citizens benefited from high-speed, mainline, and regional trains along with urban rail system projects in 2024. Uraloğlu evaluated the 2024 passenger data released by TCDD Transportation, stating, “In 2024, 279 million 426 thousand 382 citizens benefited from high-speed, mainline, and regional trains as well as urban rail system projects.”
256 million 241 thousand 472 people used urban rail system lines. Uraloğlu noted that the number of passengers traveling with High-Speed Trains (YHT) reached 12 million 463 thousand 297 in 2024, adding, “A total of 10 million 721 thousand 613 passengers used our regional and mainline trains this year.” Highlighting that urban rail systems provide an important solution to reduce traffic congestion in metropolitan areas, Uraloğlu reported that 256 million 241 thousand 472 citizens benefited from the rail system lines in one year.
In Istanbul, 231 million 808 thousand 773 passengers were reported. Minister Uraloğlu shared information on the passenger numbers transported primarily by Marmaray, as well as the Sirkeci-Kazlıçeşme and Gayrettepe-Istanbul Airport-Arnavutköy metro lines operated by TCDD Transportation. He continued, “The project of the century, Marmaray, which connects the two sides of Istanbul by rail, served 218 million 886 thousand 16 citizens between Gebze and Halkalı throughout the year. A total of 3 million 159 thousand 496 passengers used the Sirkeci-Kazlıçeşme Line, while 9 million 659 thousand 688 citizens traveled on the Gayrettepe-Istanbul Airport-Arnavutköy Line. Together with the Halkalı-Bahçeşehir Line, a total of 231 million 808 thousand 773 people used our lines in Istanbul.”
Başkentray served 24 million 432 thousand 699 passengers. Uraloğlu also evaluated the passenger data of Başkentray, which runs through the center of Ankara. “The number of passengers on our Sincan-Kayaş line, which is integrated with the YHT, is continuously increasing. Throughout the year, we serviced 24 million 432 thousand 699 passengers with Başkentray,” he stated.
93.9% of passengers recommend YHTs. Expressing that they have leapfrogged transportation in Turkey with High-Speed Trains, Minister Uraloğlu mentioned that TCDD Transportation conducts regular customer satisfaction surveys every year with the aim of providing satisfactory service to each passenger. Evaluating the 2024 satisfaction survey, Uraloğlu stated, “Our customer satisfaction score reached a high level of 4.09/5. Of the passengers traveling with YHTs, 88.2% expressed satisfaction, 93.9% recommended traveling by YHT, and 95.9% plan to travel again with YHT. In line with our goal to provide the best service to our passengers, our entire team continues to strive to increase passenger satisfaction to 100%.”
TCDD Transportation is 8 years old. Minister Uraloğlu noted that TCDD Transportation, which started its operations on January 1, 2017, under the "Law on the Liberalization of Railway Transportation in Turkey" that came into force in 2013, is celebrating its 8th anniversary. He stated, “Since its establishment, TCDD Transportation has brought significant momentum to railway transportation in our country and has undertaken major projects. Today, after 8 years, it continues to provide a wide range of services from passenger transportation to freight transportation, increasing competition in railway transport and accelerating the modernization process in the sector. TCDD Transportation has greatly contributed to strengthening Turkey’s transportation infrastructure and will continue to play a critical role in achieving Turkey’s transportation goals in the future.”