Türkiye has signed a cooperation protocol with the UK to support the development of its first domestically made hydrogen-powered train, with state-backed manufcaturer Türasaş leading the work as Ankara pushes to boost its rolling stock export portfolio.
The protocol was signed in Ankara at the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure by Türasaş General Manager Selim Koçbay and the UK’s Ambassador to Türkiye, Jill Morris, in the presence of Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.
According to the ministry, the agreement falls under the Hydrogen Fuelled Train Development Project and is structured as a research and development initiative. Türasaş will coordinate the programme, and act as the prototype production centre. “The project is research and development in nature, and all rights will belong to Türasaş,” Uraloğlu said in a written statement.
Turkish made
The production of the hydrogen-powered locomotives is planned at Türasaş’s Eskişehir facility, which will host prototype manufacturing and testing activities. Uraloğlu said the cooperation would support a structured transfer of technical knowledge while strengthening Türkiye’s domestic engineering capabilities in hydrogen-based traction technologies. The UK, meanwhile, will provide expertise and know-how in areas including system architecture, fuel cell and system integration, power electronics, energy management, and operational safety.
“Our goal is to develop domestic solutions that can compete at international standards and to build a sustainable capacity in hydrogen technology,” Uraloğlu said, adding that Türkiye wanted to establish Türasaş as a regional seller for hydrogen-based railway technologies.
Türasaş domestic manufacturing push
The hydrogen project forms part of a wider strategy to localise rail manufacturing and deepen domestic capability across the rolling-stock value chain in Türkiye. In parallel, the country has begun construction of its first factory dedicated to the production and testing of electric high-speed trains in Sakarya, close to Türasaş’s Adapazarı site where the country’s first domestically designed 225 km/h trainset is now undergoing final testing.
Alongside additional facilities planned in Eskişehir and Sivas for locomotives, electrical systems, and vehicle components, the programme is part of Ankara’s broader ambition to reduce reliance on imported rolling stock, scale up series production at home, and position Türasaş not only as a manufacturer but as a long-term owner of rail technologies, with export markets increasingly in view.
Want to hear more on hydrogen traction, rolling stock strategy, and how rail decarbonisation is being financed and delivered across Europe? Join us at RailTech Europe 2026, taking place on 4–5 March in Utrecht, where industry leaders, policymakers and operators will examine how sustainability and the energy transition are reshaping Europe’s rail network. Check out the programme here.