Turkish Railroad History starts in 1856. The 130-km İzmir-Aydın which is the very first railroad line started under the license granted to a British company in that year. There was reason for choosing this line. The İzmir-Aydın region was one which was more crowded compared to other regions, had a higher trading potential, in which ethnic groups who were eligible for being a market for the British lived and which had the raw materials required by the British industry. Further, it had a strategic importance in terms of controlling the Middle East and dominating the roads to and from India. It was put into service in 1867.