New Plan for Haydarpaşa Train Station

The government is preparing a new plan for Haydarpaşa, which was heavily damaged in the fire in 2010 and was closed in 2013. It is planned that the personnel working in the station building will be moved to the new building to be built and the building will be completely evacuated.

The government has not given up on its plans for the historical Haydarpaşa Train Station, which was built 114 years ago. Finally, it has been revealed that the 1st Regional Directorate of the Republic of Turkey State Railways (TCDD), to which the personnel working in the historical station building is affiliated, is planned to be moved to a building to be built and the building will be completely evacuated. The fate of the building with the removal of the personnel was not disclosed. Haydarpaşa Station plan was explained in the 2021 Annual Report of TCDD Teknik, Mühendislik ve Müşavirlik Anonim Şirketi. In the report, it was stated that TCDD Technical Company had a project prepared by TCDD General Directorate on 3 August 2021. It was announced that the project was prepared for the construction of a new service building for the 1st Regional Directorate of TCDD located at Haydarpaşa Train Station. While the location of the new service building was not announced, it was reported that the project was approved by the General Directorate of TCDD.

THE LAND IS APPRECIATED

According to the news of İsmail Arı from BirGün, It is known that the land of the TCDD Haydarpaşa Station campus is approximately 1 million square meters. Not only the historical station building, but also this huge land has always been the target of the government. In 2004, it was announced in the press that under the title “Haydarpaşa will become Manhattan”, with the project being prepared for Haydarpaşa port and its surroundings, the region including the station and port was planned as a world trade center. The fact that there were 7 skyscrapers in the project drew a great reaction. This project, which was carried up to the Conservation Board, was not approved by the active opposition of Haydarpaşa Solidarity and the decision of the Conservation Board. It has been claimed from time to time that the Haydarpaşa Train Station building will be turned into a hotel for years.

BURNED IN 2010

On 28 November 2010, at 14.30, a fire broke out on the roof of the historical Haydarpaşa Train Station. The historical building was severely damaged in this fire, which was extinguished in two and a half hours. While the roof and fourth floor of the station were heavily damaged, it was claimed that extinguishing the fire with sea water during the intervention with sea ships increased the damage to the building. Restoration and repair works started after the fire have not been completed for years. The scaffolding, which was built outside the historical building, could not be dismantled for years because the works could not be completed.

CLOSED IN 2013

Haydarpaşa Station, which was put into service in 1908, was closed on 19 June 2013 as part of the construction of the Marmaray project, despite all objections. All train lines belonging to the station will be transferred to Pendik Train Station on July 24, 2014, and to Söğütlüçeşme Train Station on March 12, 2019. Halkalı Transferred to the Train Station.

EXCAVATION WORK CONTINUES

Archaeological excavations, which started in 300 on an area of ​​approximately 2018 decares at Haydarpaşa Train Station, continue. During the excavations, a tomb from the Hellenistic period, a new multiple tomb, a casting workshop and an Ottoman-era fountain outside the platform area, a Byzantine holy spring, a shelter built during the 2nd World War were found.

TCDD held a tender on October 4, 2019 to rent the approximate warehouse areas of Haydarpaşa and Sirkeci stations "to be used in commercial activities". The Tender Commission announced that the tender was awarded to this company for a rental fee of 350 thousand TL, after the bargaining meeting that only Hazerfen Consulting Company invited.

It turned out that 33-year-old Hüseyin Avni Önder, the owner of the company that won the tender, also worked at İBB for a while, and Bilal Erdoğan was the general manager of the Archers Foundation.

While this tender was on the public agenda, the Council of State, with the lawsuit filed by IMM in 2020, canceled the tender for the Haydarpaşa and Sirkeci Station areas to be rented for use in cultural and artistic events.

THEY HAVE FIGHTED FOR 17 YEARS

Haydarpaşa Solidarity, which was founded in 2005, has been fighting for 17 years to protect Haydarpaşa Train Station. Haydarpaşa Solidarity members, who have gathered in front of the station building every Sunday for years, continue their struggle. From Haydarpaşa Solidarity Assoc. Dr. Conservation Specialist Gül Köksal said, “What Haydarpaşa Solidarity also underlines is that the use value of the station, port and backyard still continues. Haydarpaşa Station is a place that can continue its first function and the people want it. There is a supreme public interest here. Therefore, attempts to open this area for development are unacceptable.”