RAIL PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION IN BORDER PROVINCES IN TURKEY

Abstract

Transportation plays a crucial role in the movement of information, capital, goods, and services between different points, impacting both the environment and human society. It encompasses the economic, fast, and secure movement of people and goods to yield spatial and temporal advantages. The advent of the steam engine led to the introduction and continued utilization of steam locomotives in railway transportation. In Turkey, despite the need to establish economic opportunities, resource allocation between the two main transportation subsystems, namely railways and roads, remains an issue. Railway transportation is a highly efficient mode of mass transportation, capable of transferring large numbers of passengers and cargo with minimal energy consumption and air pollution, making it environmentally friendly. It generates less noise compared to other modes of transportation, relative to the freight and passengers it carries, and requires less land and urban space. However, the efficient utilization of railway resources is contingent upon sufficient demand. Turkey's strategic location as a gateway between Europe and the Middle East underscores the need for further development of rail passenger transportation. This would optimize infrastructure resources, enhance environmental sustainability, and promote economic and social benefits through cross-border mobility. This paper examines the challenges hindering the expansion of passenger railway transport and offers solutions and recommendations for the future.