The Turkish government has completed a huge step in its push to build a high-speed rail line that will connect to the European Union border.
According to Railway Supply, Turkey has begun testing a train line, named Halkali-Kapikule, which will connect Istanbul and Bulgaria and involves 229 kilometers of new rail.
Currently, it takes 12 hours to travel between Istanbul and Sofia, Bulgaria, via overnight train, but the new line is expected to reduce that travel time considerably. According to Railway Supply, it will provide a "vital link" between the two countries and strengthen ties between Turkey and the EU.
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The route along the old tracks carries 600,000 people per year, but with the implementation of the high-speed rail, that number is expected to skyrocket to close to 3.4 million by 2028, when the new line will open.
The new line is part of Turkey's push to strengthen ties with its EU neighbors in an effort to foster economic growth and development for everyone.
High-speed rail is booming around the world because it moves people and goods faster and more efficiently than regular trains while also reducing the pollution from those vehicles. Instead of taking short-distance flights, which pump tons of planet-heating carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, travelers will be able to ride the rails and arrive at their destinations on the same day.
A line between Paris and Berlin is in the process of being constructed, while India has built a testing facility outside Jaipur to expedite its own installation of high-speed trains. Even the United States, which has frequently lagged behind other countries in terms of adopting rail travel, has lines being built in Texas, in California, and between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
It's clear that high-speed rail is the future of long-distance travel, and Turkey is working to connect itself to the rest of Europe as a result.
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