Turkey’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, has announced plans for a new high-speed rail line between Ankara and Istanbul that will reduce travel time between the two cities from the current 4 hours 20 minutes to just 1 hour 20 minutes.

The existing railway line between Ankara and Istanbul is currently served by high-speed trains with a maximum operating speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). These trains include CAF-manufactured TCDD HT65000 models and Siemens Velaro trains. However, due to increasing passenger demand, these trains are no longer sufficient to meet the need.

“The high-speed trains that take 4 hours and 20 minutes are not enough,” Uraloğlu said. “We plan to launch a high-speed line where trains will reach speeds of up to 350 km/h (217 mph). This project will significantly improve communication between Turkey’s regions, which have a population of 25 million.”

In addition to the Ankara-Istanbul high-speed rail line, Turkey also plans to build a high-speed highway between Istanbul and Antalya. The 425-km (264-mile) route will include the cities of Kütahya, Afyonkarahisar, Isparta, Burdur, and Eskişehir. Trains on this line are expected to operate at speeds of up to 200 km/h (124 mph).

The new high-speed rail line and highway are expected to be major infrastructure projects that will boost economic development and tourism in Turkey.