Abstract:

Railway construction in the Ottoman Empire began in the second half of the nineteenth century. The first railway line was laid in Western Anatolia and Rumelia and spread to the other regions of the Empire. The widespread use of railways called for more staff. First, students were sent to England and France to receive training on railway operations. However, with the increase in railways, the Ottoman Empire considered opening schools to train its own personnel in the last quarter of the nineteenth century and set up an army-bound railway battalion at the beginning of the twentieth century. The railways in the Ottoman Empire were constructed by foreign companies, therefore, it was generally the non-Muslim citizens who were employed in railway service. However, over time, they were involved in activities against the state, resulting in the Empire training Muslim and Turkish citizens to work in railway service. To that end, Izmir Railway School was established during the First World War.

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