9th of September Express
The 9th of September Express at Ayvacık station.
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Intercity rail |
| Status | Discontinued |
| Locale | Western Turkey |
| First service | 8 September 2003 |
| Last service | 20 January 2010 |
| Current operator(s) | Turkish State Railways |
| Route | |
| Start | Basmane Terminal, İzmir |
| Stops | 31 |
| End | Ankara |
| Distance travelled | 824 km (512 mi) |
| Average journey time | 13 hours, 25 minutes (Eastbound) 13 hours, 6 minutes (Westbound) |
| Service frequency | Daily each way |
| On-board services | |
| Seating arrangements | Coach Seating |
| Sleeping arrangements | Sleeping Car |
| Catering facilities | Dining Car |
| Baggage facilities | At select stations |
| Technical | |
| TVS2000 | |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
| Operating speed | 100 km/h (62 mph) |
| Track owner(s) | TCDD |
The 9th of September Express (Turkish: 9 Eylül Ekspresi) was an overnight train, operated by the Turkish State Railways, from Basmane Terminal, İzmir to Ankara Central Station, Ankara. The name of the service refers to 9 September 1922, the date on which the Greek occupation of İzmir ended after World War I.
The journey from İzmir to Ankara took 13 hours and 25 minutes, while the journey from Ankara to İzmir took 13 hours and 6 minutes. The train serviced 6 provincial capitals: İzmir, Manisa, Balıkesir, Kütahya, Eskişehir and Ankara.
Along with the Karesi Express and İzmir Blue Train, the 9th of September Express was one of three trains to operate between Ankara and İzmir.
The Karesi Express operated between İzmir and Ankara since 1938. However the Karesi had no sleeping cars. Demand for more services between the two cities had bben rising. So on April 1, 1972 the 9th of September Express made its first journey in about 14 hours. In the 1980s the İzmir Blue Train was added making 3 daily trains between İzmir and Ankara. On January 20, 2010 the 9th of September Express was discontinued, due to low ridership.
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