Istanbul connected to Izmit and Edirne

1873 – Haydarpasa-Izmit and Istanbul-Edirne railways commissioned.

1874 – The narrow gauge Mudanya-Bursa railway was commissioned by Ottoman government. The line afterwards taken over by Chemin de Fer Moudania Brousse.

1883 – Mersin-Tarsus-Adana railway construction started. Privilege by Turkish-English-French company (Mersin-Tarsus-Adana Railway – MTA).

1886 – Mersin-Tarsus-Adana railway commissioned.

Orient Express arrived Istanbul

1888 – Istanbul-Europe railway connection commissioned. Orient Express arrived Istanbul.

1890 – Sirkeci station opened.

1893 – Extension of Haydarpasa-Izmit railway to Ankara via Adapazari-Eskisehir-Polatli started. Privilege given to Anatolia Ottoman Railway Company owned by Deutsche Bank.

1894 – Eskisehir-Kutahya section of Eskisehir-Konya railway opened by Anatolia Ottoman Railway Company.

1896 – Eskisehir-Konya railway completed. Travel time by rail from Istanbul to Konya fallen to 2 days.

1900 – Construction started on Hedjaz Railways (Damascus-Medina and Basra-Jaruselam railways) by Ottoman government.

Anatolia connected to Bagdad

1902 – Agreement inked with Anatolia Ottoman Railway Company to connect Konya to Basra via Adana-Mosul-Bagdad (2467 km). The privilege then taken over by Chemins de Fer Imperial Ottomans de Bagdad.

1908 – Damascus-Medina section of Hedjaz Railways commissioned.

1912 – Construction of Varda bridge completed.

Soda Treni, Varda Köprüsü. Foto: KLN Lojistik ©

1918 – The 356-km-long railway at Eastern Anatolia constructed by Russians was left to Turkey. By Armistice of Mudros, the power on railways was taken by Allies of World War I.