The first national electric train produced by Turkish Railway Vehicles Industries Inc. (TÜRASAŞ) began operating last weekend upon its delivery to Turkish State Railways (TCDD), in a ceremony attended by Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoğlu.

The train which will operate five times a day on the Adapazarı-Gebze route, started its journey with its first ride from Adapazarı on Saturday, according to the local media reports.

During his speech as part of the delivery ceremony on May 27, Minister Karaismailoğlu highlighted the specifics of the route the train will be operating and said, "The national electric train, which will travel on the route between Adapazarı and Gebze, will serve at 11 stops. The train will pass five times a day on the Adapazarı-Gebze route, equaling approximately 500 kilometers (310 miles) of travel a day."

Karaismailoğlu additionally drew attention to the comfort the national electric trains will provide, explaining that 100% of the train was produced using national facilities, starting from design up to production, adding that the train has an operating speed of 160 kph (99.42 mph).

"According to the operational needs, three-, four-, five- and six-wagon vehicles can be produced to be used in regional or intercity trains, and it has a capacity of 324 passengers in the five-vehicle configuration. It has the TSI certificate, which is necessary for its operation in Tükiye and European Union countries. The sets were produced with passenger comfort in mind," he said.

In a separate speech last month, the minister noted that two prototypes and one set of the trains have been produced so far, vowing to increase the number by four in 2024 and by adding 15 more during 2025 to satisfy the transport needs by 22 sets in total. "By 2030, we will complete the number of train sets to 56," he said.