6 January 2022
Assystem has been appointed to oversee the development of a new 67 km section of high-speed electrified railway line between Ispartakule and Çerkezköy, that will reduce carbon emissions and connect Türkiye to the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) via Bulgaria.
As a committed energy transition company, Assystem considers the Ispartakule and Çerkezköy railway line to be a flagship decarbonisation project for Türkiye.
Selected by the Director General of Infrastructure Investment (AYGM) of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of Türkiye, Assystem will monitor the delivery of the whole project and provide a range of technical support activities for AYGM’s Project Implementation Unit (PIU) over a 51-month period.
Services provided by Assystem will include environmental and social implementation support and compliance management, training of the AYGM’s PIU, procurement and contract implementation support, technical railway engineering support, review of design and technical specifications, financial documentation compliance management and reporting, and project monitoring and evaluation.
Kerem Sadiklar, Türkiye General Manager, Assystem said: “The Ispartakule and Çerkezköy railway line is a vital regional connectivity project and we are delighted to be contributing our expert services towards the development of a modern high-speed electrified rail network in Türkiye which will allow people and goods to move around faster while minimising carbon emissions.”
“The needs of today’s rapidly decarbonising and digitalising transportation sector is a match with Assystem’s capability, bringing together our experience in the lifecycle management of complex low carbon power plants with the deployment of the latest digital methods and tools for data management on transportation projects.”
The project involves the construction of a 67 km section of new high-speed railway line from Ispartakule to Çerkezköy: 200 km/h max design speed, double track, electrified railway and the required systems including European Rail Traffic Management System Level 1, power supply and auxiliaries.
The company has had successful involvement in metro and rail projects in France, Qatar and India. In addition to its Türkiye-based experts operating under Assystem Envy, it also has transport specialist hubs in the UK and India, having acquired infrastructure consultants Schofield Lothian and STUP Consultants respectively in 2021.
The project is co-financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and by Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and is highly strategic for Türkiye as it will improve rail connectivity between Europe and Asia, providing a low-carbon freight distribution and public transportation solution that will boost regional economic activity without leading to a rise in greenhouse gas emissions.