Hitachi in serious talks with Turkey to cooperate in air rail system: CEO

Hitachi Turkey General Manager Erman Akgün has said the company is at a serious point in talks with the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality to take part in a new air rail (havaray) project to help relieve traffic in the notoriously congested city. 

Akgün said the company may use long-term financing in the Japanese yen from a number of Japanese state-backed financial institutions. 

In an interview with Reuters, he noted that Turkey is one of the 10 prioritized countries for Japan's Hitachi, which is also interested in taking part in the high-speed train projects of the State Railways of the Turkish Republic (TCDD) and the proton therapy treatment projects of the Health Ministry. 

"Hitachi has become one the largest five rail system brands after its acquisition of Italy's Ansaldo. We also won the largest contract ever to be won by a Japanese company in Britain," Akgün added.

"Our talks with Turkish officials are about to give solid yields. We are in talks to cooperate in air rail systems, high speed train systems and subway systems. We are especially at very serious points in our talks about the air rail systems," he said, noting that there are nine planned air rail routes in Istanbul. 

"Three of them, which are in Sefaköy, Tuzla and Libadiye, have already been approved in feasibility. Turkey's Tekfen and Hakim made feasibility works for these routes and they are now in the submission period," Akgün said. 

In January, the Istanbul Municipality announced a new tender for eight separate air rail projects, which were planned to link a number of neighborhoods.

The project will initially include eight lines - four on each continent - both in central and suburban areas of Turkey's largest metropolis. The first...