A GROUNDBREAKING new rail project will connect passengers in Turkey to Europe in just three hours.
The Turkish government is testing a fresh high-speed link between Istanbul and the EU border.


Dubbed Halkali-Kapikule, the ambitious route will connect the City’s Halkali region and Kapikule which sits on the country’s border with Bulgaria.
Construction kicked off in 2017, with the journey’s duration set to be around three hours.
The connection, also known as the Silk Railway, is poised to carry nearly 3.4million travellers by 2028.
The line will belong to the Trans‐European Transport Network (TEN‐T) that connects member countries of the European Union, and will also connect to the Turkish capital Ankara.
The construction is being co-financed by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
It comes after Turkey launched the Mesopotamia Express last year.
The train departs from the Turkish capital of Ankara, before journeying 1,500km through desert landscapes, snow-capped mountains and even a dormant volcano.
Seats can be converted into beds and other overnight amenities include a fridge, a sink, a wardrobe and onboard heating.
There is a dining carriage onboard the service.
Passengers can also get off the train at three different stops, including Kayseri, Malatya and Elazığ.
At Kayseri and Malatya holidaymakers will be given three hours to explore the nearby historical sites.
Travellers are given four-hours to visit local attractions in Elazığ.
As the historic capital of Cappadocia, there are plenty of exciting tourist attractions in Kayseri, including Kayseri Castle and a small archaeological museum.
Tickets for a one-way journey start from 9,000 Turkish Lira (£222) for a sleeper cabin that sleeps two.
Pegasus Airlines operates direct flights between the London Stansted and Ankara, with prices starting from £60 for a one-way ticket.
Other new train routes
There are plenty of other new rail routes which have launched around Europe, including a brand-new night service linking Brussels and Prague.
The new 15-hour service took to the tracks in March 2024 and passes through holiday hotspots like Antwerp, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Berlin and Dresden.
Those Brits who want to travel to Prague without boarding a plane, will be able to take a Eurostar service from London St Pancras to Brussels, which takes just under two hours.
Meanwhile, another new train route could soon link two European countries by rail for the first time in 16 years.
Venice and Ljubljana (the Slovenian capital) could soon be linked by a new train service.
While it is not known which train company will operate the cross-border route, the Italian train company Trenitalia tested out the proposed route back in December.
Sun Travel's favourite train journeys

Reporters at Sun Travel have taken their fair share of train journeys and here they share their most memorable rail experiences.
Davos to Geneva, Switzerland
Caroline McGuire said: “After a ski holiday in Davos, I took the scenic train back to Geneva Airport. The snow-covered mountains and tiny alpine villages that we passed were so beautiful that it felt like a moving picture was playing beyond the glass.”
Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen
Kara Godfrey wrote: “Nothing quite beats the Shinkansen bullet train, one of the fastest in the world. It hardly feels like you’re whizzing along at speed until you look outside and see the trees a green blur.”
Glasgow to Fort William by Scotrail
Hope Brotherton said: “From mountain landscapes and serene lochs to the wistful moors, I spent my three-hour journey from Glasgow to Fort William gazing out the window. Sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views overlooking Loch Lomond.”