Istanbul’s historical train station Haydarpaşa sent a train eastward last night at 11:30, marking the last time a passenger train will leave the station for a long-distance journey.
The railway was partially halted due to the high-speed rail construction project between Ankara and Istanbul. During construction a 44-km part of the railway will be closed for the next two years between İzmit in the western province of Kocaeli and Istanbul.
When the high-speed train is completed, the last stop of the railway is expected to be Söğütlüçeşme. But suburban trains will keep on working between Haydarpaşa and Gebze for another couple of months.
Although the future of the Haydarpaşa train station is unknown yet, daily Radikal reported the station and its nearby area will be turned into a major complex including hotels and cultural and financial centers.
Approximately 5 million passengers, mostly university students, used the railway each year, according to Turkish State Railroads (TCDD) statistics.
Hüseyin Koç, a university student, said he has been using the railway for years but now was concerned about the transportation changes since they will not be able to use the train anymore. Koç said he has been paying only 7 Turkish Liras but now will have to pay 20 liras instead.
“The train was cheap and comfortable. I am not in favor of privatization for such services,” Koç said.
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