Passengers Travelling by Train: Guaranteed Service Period on 47 Lines
Official titleDecision on the Identification of Railway Lines on Which Passenger Transportation Services Will Be Provided Within the Scope of the Public Service Obligation (Decision No. 11800)
Presidential Decision No. 11800 on the identification of railway lines on which passenger transportation services will be provided within the scope of the public service obligation has entered into force.
Details of the Regulation
Presidential Decision No. 11800, published in the Official Gazette dated 18 September 2026, has reidentified the railway lines on which passenger transportation will be carried out within the scope of the public service obligation. The Decision is based on Article 8 of Statute No. 6461 on the Liberalization of Turkish Railway Transportation.
The list published within the scope of the Decision details a total of 47 railway lines, including both main lines (Ankara-Basmane, Ankara-Kars, Ankara-Tatvan, etc.) and regional lines (Adana-Kayseri, Basmane-Denizli, Elazığ-Tatvan, etc.), together with the distances of these lines. Passenger transportation services to be provided on these lines will be supported by the state within the framework of the public service obligation.
With this new Decision, the previous Presidential Decision No. 9502 dated 31 January 2025 on the same subject has been repealed. The implementation and supervision of the new list will be carried out by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.
Questions You Might Have
- After this Decision, will train ticket prices increase directly?
- No. On the contrary, because the lines within the scope of the public service obligation are financed by the state, the aim is to keep ticket prices at a reasonable level and ensure the continuity of services.
- Which lines have been included in this scope?
- A total of 47 lines have been included in the scope, comprising 13 main lines, including Ankara-Kars and Ankara-Halkalı, and 34 regional lines, including Basmane-Ödemiş and Zonguldak-Karabük.
Key Terms
- Kamu Hizmeti Yükümlülüğü
- It is the mandatory requirement that a service which cannot be provided or can only be provided inadequately under normal commercial conditions be financially supported by the state and continuously provided for public interest.
- Yürürlükten Kaldırma
- This is the termination of the validity and applicability of a legal regulation through a new regulation.
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REGAS Commentary
This Decision shows that railway lines which must be operated under the principle of the social state, even if they are not commercially profitable, have been brought under state guarantee. This means that regular, uninterrupted, and reasonably priced access to these lines will be ensured for citizens.