TURKEY: The first of 12 diesel multiple-units ordered from South Korean rolling stock manufacturer Hyundai Rotem was formally handed to Turkish state railway Director General Süleyman Karaman at a ceremony in Seoul on May 22.

The €42m order for the 140 km/h two-car air-conditioned DMUs for inter-regional services was placed in 2005, using a loan from the European Investment Bank.

TCDD will deploy the DMUs on the Adana - Mersin, Kirikkale - Ankara, Kütahya - Eskisehir and Denizli - Izmir routes. Each trainset has around 140 seats, and offers passengers video and radio entertainment as well as internet access.