V2000 series sleeping car WLALm of TCDD (Turkish Railway) with running shield
"Istanbul - Thessaloniki - Istanbul" at the station Istanbul Sirkeci before
leaving for Thessaloniki as part of "Dostluk-Filia" express on 07/17/2006. This
was the second car of the train, a similar car we did travel in with the number
61 75 70-75 045-6 was the first car of this 5-car all-sleeper train. The total price
of a ticket on this train from Istanbul to Thessaloniki inclusive the through
ticket and sleeper supplement is 48 EUR. There is no dining car but sleeping car
attendands do serve light meals and drinks for reasonable prices. Buying drinks
at the Sirkeci station and filling the compartment refrigerator is an other option.

The Dostluk-Filia ("friendship in Turkish and Greek) express runs every day with Turkish
and Greek trainsets on alternate days. TCDD uses their new V2000 equipment while OSE of
Greece second-hand ex-SNCF (French) T2 sleepers.

Photo by Gyšrgy 'George' Rath (gy.rath@sbcglobal.net)