# Taurus Express

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Taurus_Express
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Taurus_Express.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurus_Express
> Source revision: 1340793928
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{short description|Turkish passenger train}}
{{Infobox rail service
| box_width   = 300px
| name        = Taurus Express
| logo        = 
| logo_width  = 150px
| image       = Taurus Express, Konya.jpg
| image_width = 300px
| caption     = The southbound Taurus Express waiting to depart [Konya station](/source/Konya_railway_station).
| type        = [Inter-city rail](/source/Inter-city_rail)
| status      = Active
| locale      = Interior [Anatolia](/source/Anatolia), south [Turkey](/source/Turkey) 
| predecessor = [CD](/source/Cenup_Demiryollar%C4%B1), [CNS](/source/Chemins_de_fer_de_Cilicie_Nord-Syrie)
| first       = 1930
| last        = 
| successor   = 
| operator    = [Turkish State Railways](/source/Turkish_State_Railways)
| formeroperator= [Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits](/source/Compagnie_Internationale_des_Wagons-Lits)
| ridership   = 
| start       = Konya Garı, [Konya](/source/Konya)
| stops       = 
| end         = [Adana central railway station](/source/Adana_central_railway_station), [Adana](/source/Adana)
| distance    = {{convert|1600|km|mi|sp=us}} 
| journeytime = 
| frequency   = Daily
| trainnumber = 
| class       = 
| access      = 
| seating     = Coach or Couchette
| sleeping    = Private rooms
| autorack    = 
| catering    = Dining Car
| observation = 
| entertainment= 
| baggage     = At select stations
| otherfacilities= 
| stock       = 
| gauge       = {{RailGauge|ussg}}
| el          = Istanbul-Eskişehir (Envirye)
| speed       = 
| owners      = [TCDD](/source/Turkish_State_Railways), [CFS](/source/Syrian_Railways), [IRR](/source/Iraqi_Republic_Railways)
| routenumber =
| map         = {{Taurus Express}}
| map_state   = collapsed
}}
The '''Taurus Express''' ({{langx|tr|Toros Ekspresi}}) is a passenger train named after the [Taurus Mountains](/source/Taurus_Mountains) in Southern Turkey. It was launched in 1930 by [Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits](/source/Compagnie_Internationale_des_Wagons-Lits) and originally connected [Istanbul](/source/Istanbul) with [Aleppo](/source/Aleppo), [Tripoli, Lebanon](/source/Tripoli%2C_Lebanon) (for connections to [Palestine](/source/Mandatory_Palestine)) and [Nusaybin](/source/Nusaybin) (for connections to [Iraq](/source/Iraq)). The Taurus Express provided connection to the [Orient Express](/source/Orient_Express) in Istanbul. Overland travel from Western Europe to Near East became possible with the same level of comfort and quality throughout the trip. As of 2024 a service with this name is operated daily by [TCDD Transport](/source/TCDD_Transport) running wholly within Turkey between [Konya](/source/Konya) and [Adana](/source/Adana).

==History==
thumb|The historical route of the Taurus Express in 1930
[[File:CIWL ORIENT EXPRESS TAURUS, (c) wagons-lits diffusion.jpg|thumb|Poster for railways [CIWL](/source/CIWL) [Orient-Express](/source/Orient-Express) and Taurus Express.]]

=== 1930 ===
The Taurus Express ran for the first time on 15 February 1930 from [Istanbul](/source/Istanbul) to [Aleppo](/source/Aleppo) and [Nusaybin](/source/Nusaybin).
Passengers for [Baghdad](/source/Baghdad) had to transfer to a motor coach between [Nusaybin](/source/Nusaybin) and [Kirkuk](/source/Kirkuk), then continue on the meter-gauge railway between [Kirkuk](/source/Kirkuk) and [Baghdad](/source/Baghdad).

=== 1939 ===
thumb|Taurus Express Timetable 1939
In 1939, this service was running three times a week from [Istanbul](/source/Istanbul) to [Aleppo](/source/Aleppo) with connections twice a week towards [Baghdad](/source/Baghdad), [Tehran](/source/Tehran), [Haifa](/source/Haifa) and [Cairo](/source/Cairo).<ref>''[Cook's Continental Timetable](/source/Cook's_Continental_Timetable)'', August 1939.</ref>

=== 1940 ===
With the [Mosul](/source/Mosul) section of the [Baghdad Railway](/source/Baghdad_Railway) completed in 1940, the first continuous rail journey departed from [Istanbul Haydarpaşa](/source/Haydarpa%C5%9Fa_Terminal) on July 17, 1940, and arrived in [Baghdad](/source/Baghdad_Central_Station) on July 20, 1940.

=== 1942 ===
With the completion of the Tripoli to Haifa railway in December 1942<ref>{{Cite web| title=The Haifa–Beirut–Tripoli railway - With special reference to the Australian portion | url=https://arhsnsw.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Royal-Engineers-Journal-June-1952.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420132357/https://arhsnsw.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Royal-Engineers-Journal-June-1952.pdf | archive-date=2020-04-20}}</ref> and the bridge across the Suez canal at [Ferdan](/source/El_Ferdan_Railway_Bridge) a direct rail connection from [Istanbul](/source/Istanbul) to [Cairo](/source/Cairo) was possible, appearing on [CIWL](/source/Compagnie_Internationale_des_Wagons-Lits) literature.<ref>{{Cite web | title=The Taurus Express to Iraq and Egypt: Three Continent Train {{!}} retours | url=https://retours.eu/en/51-taurus-express-iraq-egypt/ | access-date=2025-07-24 | website=retours.eu}}</ref> However, services stopped with the bridge at [Ferdan](/source/El_Ferdan_Railway_Bridge) damaged by a steamship and outbreak of war in Israel/Palestine.

=== 1948 ===
The Taurus Express originally ran on tracks owned by the [Turkish State Railways](/source/Turkish_State_Railways), [Southern Railways](/source/Cenup_Demiryollar%C4%B1), [Northern Syria & Cilician Railways](/source/Chemins_de_fer_de_Cilicie_Nord-Syrie) and the [Iraqi State Railways](/source/Iraqi_State_Railways). The Turkish State Railways acquired the Southern Railways in 1948.

=== 1960 ===
A new railway line from [Gaziantep](/source/Gaziantep) to [Karkamış](/source/Karkam%C4%B1%C5%9F) was opened in 1960, allowing some portions of the Taurus Express to bypass [Aleppo](/source/Aleppo).

=== 1965 ===
By 1965, a portion of the Taurus Express was running to [Beirut](/source/Beirut) via [Aleppo](/source/Aleppo).<ref>{{Cite web | title=trains-worldexpresses.com | url=https://www.trains-worldexpresses.com/300/304.htm | access-date=2025-07-24 | website=www.trains-worldexpresses.com}}</ref> Civil war in Lebanon ended this service by the mid 1970s.

Also in 1965 ownership of the Northern Syria & Cilician Railways was acquired by [Syrian Railways](/source/Syrian_Railways).

=== 1972 ===
After 1972, passengers could travel down to [Basra](/source/Basra) via connection to the [Express 2](/source/Express_2_(IRR)) made at [Baghdad Central Station](/source/Baghdad_Central_Station). This replaced the previous metre-gauge service that ran to [Basra](/source/Basra).

=== 2001 ===
A portion to [Aleppo](/source/Aleppo) and [Damascus](/source/Damascus) was re-added with a [Syrian Railways](/source/Syrian_Railways) (CFS) sleeping car running weekly to/from [Istanbul](/source/Istanbul).<ref>{{Cite web | title=trains-worldexpresses.com | url=https://www.trains-worldexpresses.com/300/303.htm | access-date=2025-07-24 | website=www.trains-worldexpresses.com}}</ref>

=== 2003 ===
Service to Iraq was suspended in 2003, due to the [outbreak of war](/source/2003_Invasion_of_Iraq) in [Iraq](/source/Iraq).

=== 2008 ===
The weekly portion to [Aleppo](/source/Aleppo) last ran in June 2008, interrupted firstly by engineering work in Turkey and later by civil war in Syria from 2011.

=== 2012 ===
In 2012, the State Railways renewed service between Eskişehir and Adana and will once again service Istanbul when [track work in the city](/source/Ankara%E2%80%93Istanbul_high-speed_railway) is complete.

==Consist==
The consist of the first Taurus Express was this:
*TCDD Steam Loco 3688 
*TCDD Baggage Car 
*CIWL Sleeping Car
*CIWL Sleeping Car
*TCDD Coach
*TCDD Coach
*TCDD Baggage Car

After 1972 the [diesel locomotives](/source/diesel_locomotives) were the main power and the consists from 1972 to 2003 were like this:
*IRR DEM 2000 Locomotive (Baghdad-Karkamış)
*TCDD DE 24000 Locomotive (Karkamış-Istanbul)
*TCDD Postage Car
*TCDD Sleeping Car
*TCDD Couchette Car
*TCDD Coach
*TCDD Baggage Car

==In popular culture==
The Taurus Express is featured in [Agatha Christie](/source/Agatha_Christie)'s crime novel ''[Murder on the Orient Express](/source/Murder_on_the_Orient_Express)'' (1934). While the main body of the story takes place on another of the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits trains, the [Simplon-Orient Express](/source/Orient_Express), the opening chapter of the book takes place on the Taurus Express.

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
{{citation |url=http://www.railwaywondersoftheworld.com/taurus-express.html |chapter = The Taurus Express |title= Railway Wonders of the World |year=1936 | pages = 1521–1528 |editor-first=Clarence |editor-last=Winchester}} illustrated description of the route and a journey from Haydarpasa station to Basra
* [https://tcddtrensaatleri.com/anahat/toros-ekspresi-tren-saatleri/ Toros Ekspresi]

{{TCDD Routes}}

Category:Named passenger trains of Turkey
Category:Rail transport in Iraq
Category:Rail transport in Syria
Category:International named passenger trains
Category:Iraq–Turkey relations
Category:Night trains
Category:Baghdad railway
Category:Railway services introduced in 1930

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Taurus Express](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurus_Express) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurus_Express?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.