Railroad Development in the Republican Era (1923 - 1940)

Between the years 1923 and 1940, a railway network of 6,948 km under the management of the Turkish State Railways came into existence as a result of the construction of new railway lines and the nationalization of those which had been constructed during the Ottoman period and operated by foreign railroad companies. This time span represents the railroad development era in the early Republican period. Railroad investments which were realized under the concept of the railway policy (Simendifer Siyaseti) of the state throughout this period constitute the subject of this study. The important events and developments that were effective on the formation of the railway policy, the construction and nationalization processes of the railway lines and the underlying motives behind the railway development are discussed throughout the study. In addition, the affects of the railroad development in terms of economic aspects were examined mainly by focusing on the financing of railway investments and the agricultural and industrial sectors during the era concerned.