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ETR 500 Y2 at the depot of Haydarpasa along with a suburban set A14000. Photo by Ali AKSIN (aliaksin@gmail.com)

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TCDD has rented a special purpose test train from RFI of Italy in order to perform tests on the first high speed line being built in Turkey. The line extends from a district of the Capital Ankara called Esenkent to a neighboring city named Eskisehir. The line is yet 206 km. but will soon be extended to Istanbul reaching more than 400 km. Also other high speed lines are planned like Ankara-Konya, Ankara-Izmir and Istanbul-Izmir. For more info: http://www.tcdd.gov.tr/tcdding/index.htm The rented unit ETR-500 Y2 shown here is resting at Haydarpasa main station after being introduced to public. It has three logos of respecting companies FS, RFI and TCDD. The unit was brought to Haydarpasa for two purposes: One was public demonstration and the real purpose was to test the conventional single and double tracks from Eskisehir to Haydarpasa for use with high speed trains operating at reduced speed. The unit consists of two powered end units (three current) middle car for stuff or passanger testing and two cars adjacent to the power units for testing equipments. The train is operated by Italian crew accompanied by Turkish members. Despite the line is being tested by Italian ETR-500 Y2, Spanish CAF trains will be operated on the line when finished. Photo by Ali AKSIN (aliaksin@gmail.com)

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A memory at Yayla station. On the photo are managers and academics. Photo by Ali AKSIN (aliaksin@gmail.com)

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ETR 500 Y2 is resting at the depot between two suburban A14000 sets. At the left, two Turkish engineers. Photo by Ali AKSIN (aliaksin@gmail.com)

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ETR 500 Y2 is on the way to the depot at Haydarpasa. Photo by Ali AKSIN (aliaksin@gmail.com)

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A memory with Italian and Turkish engineers. Photo by Ali AKSIN (aliaksin@gmail.com)

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ETR 500 Y2 is ready to depart for the demo tour to Ankara at Haydarpasa station. Photo by Ali AKSIN (aliaksin@gmail.com)

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An Italian engineer is doing the coupler inside the nose whilst Turkish engineers were inspecting the process. The coupler is pulled inside by using a hand lever. Photo by Ali AKSIN (aliaksin@gmail.com)

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ETR 500 Y2 is on the line 2 at Haydarpasa for public introduction the day before it departs to Ankara. Photo by Ali AKSIN (aliaksin@gmail.com)

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Photo session at Yayla station. Photo by Ali AKSIN (aliaksin@gmail.com)

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The accompanying diesel locomotive and the test train can be seen resting at the depot of Haydarpasa Station. At the most right side a scrapped BB E40014 can be seen. Photo by Ali AKSIN (aliaksin@gmail.com)

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ETR 500 Y2 is on a stop at Yayla station for a photo session. The train is headed towards Eskisehir and the D445 1060 is coupled at the back. This was a special demo run with some management stuff of TCDD and some professors from the Middle East Technical University. The Yayla (higland) station is at the middle (alt. 473m) of the line between Bozüyük and Karaköy stations. This section of the line is one of the steepest (‰ 27) on the Turkish rail network. Photo by Ali AKSIN (aliaksin@gmail.com)

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A diesel locomotive (D445 1060) was also hired from Italy to pull the ETR 500 Y2 on its way from Italy to Turkey. The loco is a special type equipped with retractable Scharfenberg couplers on both sides allowing itself to be hooked to another loco or to ETR 500. On test runs this diesel locomotive is separated from the train or attached if the train needs to lower the pantographs for a purpose. Photo by Ali AKSIN (aliaksin@gmail.com)