Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) continues its rail system move, which started in 2019, without slowing down. The number of daily trips, which was 2.7 million in 2018, including IMM’s own metro, tram and funicular lines and Marmaray, reached 4 million in 2025, a historical increase. Thus, the share of the rail system in public transportation increased from 35.5 percent in 2018 to 42.9 percent in 2025.
SUSPENDED LINES WERE RETURNED TO LIFE
When IMM took office in 2019, it took over the metro lines whose construction was stopped throughout the city. In addition to financing problems, these lines did not have feasible and detailed projects, and many of them did not even have an administrative construction site. With Ekrem İmamoğlu’s vision of rail systems, all these projects that could not progress due to financing problems and some technical and contractual problems were implemented step by step by making design revisions, solving contractual problems and creating financing.
IMM Deputy Secretary General Assoc. Dr. Pelin Alpkökin said, “When we took office in 2019, we saw that many of the rail system lines under construction had stopped and minor works were being carried out on some of them. The production of metro, tram and funicular vehicles required for these lines had almost completely stopped. First, we listed the works that needed urgent measures and needed to be projected. Then, we laid them all on the table one by one and started the whole process by rolling up our sleeves.”
In this context, most of the stopped lines were made operational again; Tunnel, station and electromechanical manufacturing gained momentum again, and vehicle procurement works, which had never started due to lack of financing, were restarted by creating the necessary financial resources.
65 KM HAS BEEN OPENED SINCE 2019
As of 2019, IMM found approximately 2.5 Billion Euros for rail systems and put the 65.1 km rail system line into service. When the 3 metro lines, which were completed by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and handed over to IMM for operation, were included and the entire construction cost of 13.5 billion TL was deducted from IMM in less than 2 years, the 87.1 km line was put into service.
The commissioning of these new lines provided a significant capacity increase in Istanbul transportation, as a concrete reflection of IMM’s rail system vision. These lines are listed as follows, along with their opening dates, lengths and stages:
· 28.10.2020: First stage of Kabataş – Mecidiyeköy – Mahmutbey Metro Line (18 km)
· 01.01.2021: First stage of Eminönü – Alibeyköy Tram Line (9 km)
· 29.05.2021: First stage of Ataköy – İkitelli Metro Line (2.1 km)
· 28.10.2022: Rumeli Hisarüstü – Aşiyan Funicular Line (0.8 km)
· 02.01.2023: Second stage of Kabataş – Mecidiyeköy – Mahmutbey Metro Line (2 km)
· 06.01.2023: Dudullu – Bostancı Metro Line (14.3 km)
· 30.08.2023: Second stage of Eminönü – Alibeyköy Tram Line (1.1 km)
· 16.03.2024: Çekmeköy – Sancaktepe – Sultanbeyli Metro Line first stage (6.5 km)
· 18.03.2024: Ataköy – İkitelli Metro Line (11.3 km)
With the opening of these lines, the line length operated by IMM reached 244.3 km by 2025, and a total of 380.7 km with the lines operated by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.
STRONG RENEWAL IN THE RAIL SYSTEM VEHICLE FLEET
In this process, while IMM continues the construction of the rail system, it also purchases vehicles for these lines. A total of 176 new vehicles were put into service between June 2019 and March 2024. With the ongoing supply processes, the production of 278 vehicles continues. Alpkökin stated that there will be an increase of up to 50 percent in the rail system vehicle fleet in the next 5 years.
TWO IMPORTANT LINE WILL BE OPENED IN 2026
Istanbul will have two new lines in 2026. The Çekmeköy–Samandıra Central stage of the Çekmeköy–Sancaktepe–Sultanbeyli Metro Line was opened in March 2024. Progress in the Samandıra Center–Sultanbeyli section is at 92 percent and it is planned to be put into service in May 2026. Ümraniye–Ataşehir–Göztepe Line is 90 percent completed and will be opened at full capacity at the end of 2026.
Assoc. Dr. Alpkökin also shared important information about Istanbul’s rail system vision:
“Our rail system line, which is currently in operation, is 380 km long. Only when we complete the lines under construction by IMM, this length will reach 425 km in 2029. When the lines built and put into service by the Ministry are included, the total line length will exceed 450 km. Our goal is to hold new tenders and further increase this length by obtaining the necessary approvals and permits starting from next year.
2029 VISION: RAIL SYSTEM REACHING 700 KM
Our vision for after 2029 is to create a comprehensive rail system network reaching 700 km. The designs and feasibility reports of many of our projects, such as Sefaköy-Beylikdüzü-Tüyap Metro Line, Üsküdar-Kadıköy-Maltepe Tram Line, have been completed. However, in order for these projects to be implemented, they must be included in the public investment program so that their financing can be provided. Unfortunately, these projects have not yet been included in the public investment program. For example, we have applied a total of 8 times since 2022 for the Sefaköy-Beylikdüzü-Tüyap Metro Line, but we cannot start the project because the approvals have not been received yet. In addition, as IMM, the detailed designs of critical projects such as Esenyurt-Saadetdere Metro Line, Esenler Street Tram and express metro HIZRAY have been completed. In addition, preliminary design and feasibility studies of many new lines are being carried out meticulously. ”
