Taurus Express

The Taurus Express (Turkish: Toros Ekspresi) is a passenger train operating daily between Konya and Adana. In the past it was a premier overnight passenger train operated by Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits between İstanbul and Baghdad. After 1972, passengers could travel down to Basra via connection to the Express 2 made at Baghdad Central Station. However, service was suspended in 2003, due to the outbreak of war in Iraq. In 2012, the State Railways renewed service between Eskişehir and Adana and will once again service İstanbul when track work in the city is complete. There is a chance that the train may continue to its former terminus in Baghdad in the future, but the possibility remains low for the time being.

Taurus Express
The southbound Taurus Express waiting to depart Konya station.
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
StatusActive
LocaleInterior Anatolia, south Turkey
PredecessorCD, CNS
First service1930, 2012
Last service2003- restarted after various arrangements and updates.
Current operator(s)Turkish State Railways
Former operator(s)Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits
Route
StartKonya Garı, Konya
EndAdana central railway station, Adana
Distance travelled1,600 kilometers (990 mi)
Service frequencyDaily
On-board services
Seating arrangementsCoach or Couchette
Sleeping arrangementsPrivate rooms
Catering facilitiesDining Car
Baggage facilitiesAt select stations
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm)
Electrificationİstanbul-Eskişehir (Envirye)
Track owner(s)TCDD, CFS, IRR
Route map
Legend
-
Distance Station
0 km Istanbul Haydarpaşa
1 km (0.6 mi) Söğütlüçeşme
9 km (5.6 mi) Bostancı
24 km (15 mi) Pendik
44 km (27 mi) Gebze
83 km (52 mi) Derince
91 km (57 mi) İzmit
131 km (81 mi) Arifye
156 km (97 mi) Afuatpaşa
167 km (104 mi) Pamukova
195 km (121 mi) Osmaneli
231 km (144 mi) Bilecik
248 km (154 mi) Karaköy
263 km (163 mi) Bozüyük
313 km (194 mi) Eskişehir Enveriye
514 km (319 mi) Gökçekısık
374 km (232 mi) Sabuncupınar
514 km (319 mi) Uluköy
502 km (312 mi) Alayunt
492 km (306 mi) Kütahya
502 km (312 mi) Alayunt Müselles
344 km (214 mi) Döğer
393 km (244 mi) İhsaniye
359 km (223 mi) Hamam
344 km (214 mi) Afyon
418 km (260 mi) Çay
467 km (290 mi) Sultandağı
486 km (302 mi) Akşehir
504 km (313 mi) Argıthan
521 km (324 mi) Ilgın
535 km (332 mi) Kadınhan
551 km (342 mi) Sarayönü
Meydan
576 km (358 mi) Konya
588 km (365 mi) Kaşınhan
619 km (385 mi) Çumra
645 km (401 mi) Akıören
668 km (415 mi) Karaman
677 km (421 mi) Sudurağı
772 km (480 mi) Ayrancı Derbent
781 km (485 mi) Ereğli
815 km (506 mi) Çakmak
832 km (517 mi) Osmancık
865 km (537 mi) Ulukışla
940 km (584 mi) Gümüş
1,000 km (621 mi) Çiftehan
1,020 km (634 mi) Pozantı
1,034 km (642 mi) Belemdik
1,050 km (652 mi) Hacıkırı
1,086 km (675 mi) Karaisalıbucağı
1,126 km (700 mi) Kelebek
1,206 km (749 mi) Durak
1,247 km (775 mi) Yenice
1,254 km (779 mi) Şakirpaşa
1,274 km (792 mi) Adana

History

The Taurus Express ran for the first time on 15 February 1930. However, at that time, passengers had to transfer to a motor coach provided by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits for the stage of the journey between Nusaybin and Kirkuk. From Kirkuk, the journey was continued on the meter-gauge railway to Baghdad. In 1939, this service was running three times a week from Istanbul to Baghdad, with connections to Teheran and to Cairo.[1]

With the completion of the Baghdad Railway, the first continuous rail journey of the Taurus Express departed from Haydarpaşa Terminal in Istanbul on July 17, 1940, and arrived at Baghdad Central Station in Baghdad on July 20, 1940.

The Taurus Express originally ran on tracks owned by the Turkish State Railways, Southern Railways, Northern Syria & Cilician Railways and the Iraqi State Railways. The Turkish State Railways acquired the Southern Railways in 1948 and the Syrian Railways acquired the Northern Syria & Cilician Railways in 1965. The train ran twice weekly but after 1972 it ran weekly.

Consist

The consist of the first Taurus Express was this:

  • TCDD Steam Loco 3688
  • TCDD Baggage Car
  • CIWL Sleeping Car
  • CIWL Sleeping Car
  • TCDD Coach
  • TCDD Coach
  • TCDD Baggage Car

After 1972 the diesel locomotives were the main power and the consists from 1972 to 2003 were like this:

  • IRR DEM 2000 Locomotive (Baghdad-Karkamış)
  • TCDD DE 24000 Locomotive (Karkamış-İstanbul)
  • TCDD Postage Car
  • TCDD Sleeping Car
  • TCDD Couchette Car
  • TCDD Coach
  • TCDD Baggage Car

The Taurus Express is featured in Agatha Christie's crime novel Murder on the Orient Express (1934). While the main body of the story takes place on another of the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits trains, the Simplon-Orient Express, the opening chapter of the book takes place on the Taurus Express.

References

Winchester, Clarence, ed. (1936), "The Taurus Express", Railway Wonders of the World, pp. 1521–1528 illustrated description of the route and a journey from Haydarpasa station to Basra

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