The 7th International Conference on Railway History organised by the International Railway History Association (IRHA-AIHC) with the support of Turkish State Railways (TCDD), UIC and SNCF, will be held from 2 – 5 November 2016 in the historic railway station of Istanbul-Sirkeci, the former terminus station of the Orient-Express and nowadays a railway museum on the European bank of the Bosphorus.
The conference opening will take place on Wednesday 2 November from 17:00 to 20:00 hours.
The conference will be attended by high level representatives of railways and railway organisations, historic associations, academics representing European, Asian and Turkish universities, historians, researchers…
Presentations by academics, historians and senior executives from Middle-Eastern railway companies will focus on the following topics:
Past – 19th and first half of the 20th century:
- First suggestions and connections
- The Balkans and the Ottoman Empire
- Transport corridors Europe-Asia in a wider perspective
Present – Second half of the 20th century
- The modern debate after World War II
Future – from the 21st century onwards
- What the future might bring
- The future of railway networks between Asia, Middle-East and Europe