TURKISH State Railways (TCDD) has awarded Alstom an e89m contract to supply its Atlas ETCS system on the 328km Eskisehir - Kutahya - Balikesir line.

As the first metro line on the Anatolian side of Istanbul prepares to open, and with construction about to begin on a second line, David Briginshaw reports on the city's ambitious plans to expand its transit network to more than 500km.