It was built to shorten and to ease the ramp on the railway line connecting Sivas with Malatya and Erzincan.
The construction began on November 15, 1973, however its progression was quite slow until 2003 when the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) took over the project.
[2][3][4] Following the installation of signalization facilities, and completing the test runs with freight trains, the tunnel was put into service in late 2012.
[7] According to official records, a total of 5,330 people worked for the construction that lasted 39 years, while eight workers died in accidents during this time.
[1][2][5] The Deliktaş Tunnel serves also to contribute to the transportation of iron ore from Divriği mine to steel works in a more economic way.