Samsun Çarsamba

In 1924, the Nemli Zade family of tobacco barons obtained a 75 years concession to build a 750 mm-gauge railway from Alaçam through Bafra, Samsun to Terme, a distance of 150km. This was the first railway concession awarded by the new Turkish republic to a private firm.

Only the 37 km section from Samsun to Çarşamba was in fact built, being opened in autumn 1926. In 1928, the company ran into financial problems because of declining revenues. The State came to the rescue in the form of a State guaranteed loan to the company. This was not enough and in 1929, the State took over the line and gave it to TCDD (law 1524 dated 2 June 1929).

It was closed in 1971, the last of the TCDD's narrow-gauge lines.

In 1981 the line reopened as a standard-gauge line.

Traction on this line was provided by four German made 1'C't. These locos stayed until the closure of the line.

1'C't 750mm gauge, crossing a bridge

Map of Samsun Çarsamba line. Drawing JP Charrey"