Adana–Mersin railway

Adana-Mersin railway
Adana-Mersin demiryolu
Overview
Type Heavy rail
System Turkish State Railways
Status Operational
Locale Çukurova
Termini Central Station, Adana
Central Station, Mersin
Stations 11
Operation
Opened 2 August 1886
Owner Turkish State Railways
Operator(s) Turkish State Railways
Depot(s) Adana Diesel Depot
Mersin Diesel Depot
Technical
Line length 67 km (41.63 mi)
Number of tracks Double track
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Operating speed 120 km/h (75 mph)
 Line to Nusaybin, Iskenderun, and Eastern Turkey
 Adana Railway Station
 Sakirpasa
 Sehitlik
 Zeytinli
 Yenice
Line to Konya, Kayseri, Istanbul, and Western Turkey.
 Tarsus
 Huzurkent
 Taskent
 Karacailyas
 Tırmıl
 To Port of Mersin
 To Port of Mersin
 Mersin Railway Station

The Adana - Mersin Main Line is a 67 km (41 miles) long double track rail line from the Adana Railway Station in Adana to the Mersin Railway Station in Mersin. The line passes through the city of Tarsus and has branch lines to the Port of Mersin. The line is one of the busiest rail lines in Turkey with 57 passenger trains and about 20 freight trains daily.

History

MTA

On January 20, 1883, the Ottoman Government gave a concession to develop railways in Cilicia to two Turkish men. But they could not proceed alone so they sold a part of their rights to a group of English and French investors. This action led to establishment of the Mersin – Tarsus – Adana Railway (MTA), a French company headquartered in London. The line was quickly constructed and completed in 1886 with the line opening on August 2, 1886.

In 1896 the Turkish men sold all their rights to the company, making the MTA fully foreign owned. In 1906 the Deutsche Bank bought the line from the French company. After World War I and the Turkish Independence War, the line was still owned by the Deutsche Bank. On January 1, 1929 the line met the same fate as the Chemins de Fer Ottomans d'Anatolie (CFOA) and was nationalized. It became part of the Chemins de fer d'Anatolie Baghdad Railway, which was a part of the Turkish State Railways (TCDD). TCDD operates the line to this day.

The MTA terminal station in Adana was abandoned by the Baghdad railway which built its own station further north.

External links

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