The Minister of Transport and Infrastructure of Turkey, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, announced the construction of the Siirt–Kurtalan rail line that is a priority project included in the 2025 investment programme.
The 34 km line will provide a direct connection between the city of Kurtalan and Siirt city centre, offering increased access to rail services in the Siirt Province, southeast Turkey.
“With the 34-km Siirt–Kurtalan Line, we will extend the railway to the city centre of Siirt. In doing so, Siirt will be connected to the national railway network. As part of the project, we will construct the Kurtalan station, the Airport and University station, and the Siirt station,” the minister added.
The project covers the construction of six tunnels with a total length of 15.5 km, 12 emergency tunnels totalling 12 km and two cut-and-cover tunnels measuring 1,523 metres in total. The project also involves the construction of two viaducts with a combined length of 597 metres, along with seven overpasses and six underpasses. “We will carry out track laying over a total distance of 61 km and with the tunnels and viaducts to be constructed, transport in the region will become faster and safer,” the minister said.
The line will be designated to allow both passenger and freight transport services, facilitating the movement of industrial and agricultural products to central and western regions, as well as providing a connection to ports. The minister emphasised that the new line would strengthen the transport infrastructure of the Southeastern Anatolia Region and contribute to regional development.
Siirt–Kurtalan rail line will serve as an extension of the Yolçatı–Diyarbakır–Kurtalan line, which, along with the Diyarbakır–Mazıdağ railway will be modernised to allow increased speeds of up to 160 lkm/h. Turkey is continuing the feasibility and design works for the Diyarbakır–Mardin line to connect the existing Diyarbakır–Mazıdağ line to Mardin in the south.
The new line will strengthen Siirt’s transport infrastructure, making significant contributions to the region’s economic, commercial, and tourism activities. The Siirt Organised Industrial Zone, located in one of the developing provinces of the Southeastern Anatolia Region, is home to 128 businesses and 85 industrial facilities operating in sectors such as metal, food, machinery, and ready-to-wear clothing. In addition, in 2021, Turkey’s first zinc smelting plant was established in Siirt.
Share on:
