Graduate School of Sciences | Rail Transport Engineering Master with Thesis

Since the development of rail transport systems in Turkey has been adopted as a state policy, many projects related to railways have been implemented and investments in this area have increased with the support of incentive laws. Thus, in 2009, Turkey is acquainted with the high-speed train lines. With the construction and commissioning of Ankara – Konya in 2011, Eskişehir – Konya in 2013, and Ankara-İstanbul and İstanbul-Konya lines in 2014, 1213 km of High Speed Train Line was reached at the end of 2016. Ankara-Sivas and Ankara-Izmir projects are still under construction. These developments in the railways have attracted the attention of both the private sector and foreign companies and the need for the restructuring of the railways was felt. For this purpose, the law envisaging the liberalization of TCDD was passed on April 24, 2013 and thus, it was aimed to create competition within the sector in order to enable the operation of more than one operator. Another important project related to railways is the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway line opened in 2017. BTK project with China to set out the burden of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan across the Caspian Sea port of Baku Alata, it has also become possible to move from there to Europe via Georgia and Turkey. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project created a new energy corridor in the region. Turkey's; Together with the ICTA and Marmaray projects, it is expected to play an important role in Sino-European railway traffic. With the implementation of the above mentioned projects, railways have become very effective in intercity passenger and freight transportation. Similarly, the extension of rail transport systems in urban transport will eliminate problems such as traffic congestion, noise pollution and air pollution, especially due to the number of vehicles in densely populated areas.

In general, urban public transport systems in cities should consist of rail systems networks serving the city center and main passenger flow lines, and light rail systems and buses serving wider areas. In this context, when rail systems and city interaction are considered, approximately 2000 people can be transported on a single road lane while a single railway line can carry 40.000-60.000 passengers per hour. In addition to the higher capacity, rail systems are also the flagship of the city in terms of high speed and performance, safety and reliability. Furthermore, long-term operating costs are the most advantageous option compared to all other types of urban transport. However, it is an undeniable fact that the rail system lines contribute to the viability of cities. On the other hand, urban rail system lines should be designed in terms of infrastructure and superstructure, technology of vehicles should be recognized, signaling systems should be developed and automation systems should be established. Investigation of environmental impacts in the short and long term, as well as operating in cities with automobile-focused urban development for the last 50 years is a matter that requires considerable knowledge. Therefore, it is essential for our country to train the personnel specialized in rail systems in the short term and effectively. For this purpose, Badger High School, (Transportation Vocational High School with a new name) undergraduate level for the first time in Turkey was opened in 2001. Rail System Programs. Rail Systems Electrical and Electronics, Rail Systems Machine Technology, Rail Systems Road Technology, Rail Systems Mechanic Programs contribute to the increase in the number of qualified technical personnel in this sector.

The National Rail Systems Center of Excellence (URAYSİM) Project, another important project in the field of rail transport systems, was submitted to the Ministry of Development in 2010 by Eskişehir Technical University and Anadolu University and accepted in January 2011. The project was officially started by being included in the investment program by being published in the Official Gazette on 14 January 2012. Within the scope of URAYSİM project; In order to gain knowledge about railway systems at the academic level, 21 academic staff were commissioned. Academic staff have been selected from different engineering fields including Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Civil Engineering. Fifteen academic staff were sent to the Czech Republic, 4 to the United Kingdom, 1 to the United States, and 1 to Germany for doctorate. Recommended in the master's program will lay the groundwork for many of said academic staff who have completed their doctorate and rail systems are returned to Turkey.