Ankara, Turkey – The city of Konya, located 300 KM south of the capital city of Ankara with a population of 2.1 million, is a major economic and industrial city in Turkey and a fast-growing green city whose environment-infrastructure has secured several globally recognized awards.

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the main financier of the Konya-Ankara High Speed Train, is now joining hands with its major Turkish development partners, for financing Konya’s Suburban Railway Project which is to connect major suburban industrial zones to the city center.

A virtual meeting on Monday 4^th May 2020, attended by 20 experts and officials representing IsDB Group Regional Hub Turkey, Iller Bank, Konya Metropolitan Municipality, and TCDD focused on finalizing the preparatory work for the project so that all required preparatory processes are done and the legal documentations for the project are signed within the existing availability period of the project.

The IsDB, represented by IsDB Group Regional Hub Turkey (RHT), will be providing EUR 26.3 million of financing for procurement of 3 electric light rail train sets while the civil work and other infrastructure will be financed by TCDD and Iller Bank, one of Turkey’s major banks, will be performing as the executing agency (EA) in collaboration with Konya Metropolitan Municipality of the project the total cost of which stands at EUR 90 million.

Once operational by 2022, the 17.4 KM double track suburban electric railway will also provide high quality connectivity between Konya airport and the city center. Trains will cover 13 stations travelling every seven minutes at a speed of maximum 54 KM per hour with 20 second stops at each station and 1-minute stops at end-line stations.

Estimates by the Konya Metropolitan Municipality envisage that by 2025 170,000 passengers will be commuting on the suburban train every day with 26,000 using the service at peak hours and by 2030 the train will be serving 200,000 passengers per day with 40,000 people traveling in peak hours. The municipality officials in Konya are taking measures to encourage the commuters to gradually switch to rail ways services and they predict that in 10 years, between 60 to 70 percent of the workers travelling between the industrial zones and the city will be using the railway services.

Facilitated by the IsDB Group Regional Hub Turkey, the Islamic Development Bank has already set a track record of finalizing similar transportation projects one year ahead of schedule and according to RHT Operations Team Leader, Mr. Atiq Ahmad, as a result of new fast track approval procedures set in place by IsDB Group to ensure viability during COVID19 days, it is expected that this project is streamlined much earlier than expected.

Konya is a leading agriculture and industrial city and a major tourist attraction in Turkey that is currently home to solar-powered bus stops, electric and battery powered city buses as well as sound and vibration proof trains with trains and a smart public transportation service which also provides 1000 smart bikes to residents and tourists.