Native name İstanbul Metrosu Transit type Rapid transit | ||
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Owner Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Number of lines 6 European lines (4 in service, some will be extended; 2 under construction);3 Asian lines (1 in service, will be extended; 2 under construction) Number of stations 73 in service;71 under construction | ||
The Istanbul Metro (Turkish: İstanbul Metrosu) is a rapid transit railway network that serves the city of Istanbul, Turkey. It is operated by Metro Istanbul (the new name of Istanbul Ulaşım A.Ş.), a public enterprise, controlled by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The oldest section is the metro is M1 line, which opened in 1989; it now includes 73 stations in service, with 71 more under construction.
Contents
- History
- Operations
- Lines
- M1 line
- M2 line
- M3 line
- M6 line
- M4 line
- Technical specifications
- Alignment and interchanges
- Rolling stock
- European side
- Asian side
- References
The system currently consists of five lines named M1, M2, M3, M4, and the M6 Mini-Metro. More lines are under construction or planned: M5 (Üsküdar-Çekmeköy/Sancaktepe), M8 (Bostancı-Dudullu) will be on the Asian side, while M7 (Kabataş-Mahmutbey), M9 (Ataköy-İkitelli) will be on the European side.
Istanbul Metro well connected with Marmaray and F1 Funicular underground systems and T1 modern tram ground system.
History
The oldest underground urban rail line in Istanbul is the Tünel, which entered service on January 17, 1875. It is the world's second-oldest underground urban rail line after the London Underground which was built in 1863, and the first underground urban rail line in continental Europe.
The first master plan for a full metro network in Istanbul, titled Avant Projet d'un Métropolitain à Constantinople and conceived by the French engineer L. Guerby, dates to January 10, 1912. The plan comprised a total of 24 stations between the Topkapı and Şişli districts and included a connection through the Golden Horn. Each station would have a 75-metre platform next to the rail line, while the distance between stations varied from 220 to 975 metres. The blueprints of the project, which was never realized, are today displayed at the Istanbul Technical University Museum.
In 1936 the French urban planner Henri Prost proposed a metro network between the districts of Taksim and Beyazıt, to the north and south of the Golden Horn, respectively. In October 1951 the Dutch firm Nedeco proposed a similar route between Taksim and Beyazıt, and in September 1952 the Director of the Paris Transportation Department, Marc Langevin, prepared a 14-chapter report together with his associate Louis Meizzonet for the implementation of the project and its integration with the other means of public transportation in the city. However, these plans never came into effect and all proposals were put on hold until 1987, when the planning for the current Istanbul Metro was made.
Construction works for the first 'modern' mass transit railway system started in 1989. The M1 was initially called "Hafif Metro" (which literally translates as "light metro"). Although it was built as a fully grade separated line, the M1 line operates with shorter trainsets and shorter station platforms than is standard on a traditional metro line, hence its "light metro" designation. The M1 line was later extended from Aksaray towards the western suburbs, reaching Atatürk Airport in the southwest in 2002. Construction of the M2, began on September 11, 1992, but faced many challenges due to the numerous archaeological sites that were discovered during the drilling process, which slowed down or fully stopped the construction of many stations especially at south. Taking into account the seismic activity in Istanbul, the entire network was built with the cut-and-cover method to withstand an earthquake of up to 9.0 on the Richter magnitude scale.
The first section between Taksim and 4. Levent entered service, after some delays, on September 16, 2000. This line is 8.5 km (5.3 mi) long and has 6 stations, which all look similar but are in different colours. In 2000, there were 8 Alstom-built 4-car train sets in service, which ran every 5 minutes on average and transported 130,000 passengers daily. On January 30, 2009, the first train sets built by Eurotem entered service. Eurotem will build a total of 92 new wagons for the M2 line. As of January 30, 2009, a total of 34 trainsets, each with 4 cars, were being used on the M2 line. A northern extension from 4. Levent to Maslak was opened on January 30, 2009. On September 2, 2010 the northern (temporary) terminus Darüşşafaka followed. The southern extension of the M2 line from Taksim to Yenikapı, across the Golden Horn via Haliç station on the bridge and underground through the historic peninsula, entered service on 15 February 2014. The Taksim-Yenikapı extension is 5.2 km long, with four stations. The total cost of the extension was $593 million. At Yenikapı it will intersect with the extended M1 line and the Marmaray commuter line.
The trip between the Şişhane station in Beyoğlu and the Haciosman station in Maslak is 20 km (12.4 mi) long and takes 27 minutes; including Şişhane - Taksim (1.65 km, 2 minutes), Taksim - 4. Levent (8.5 km, 12 minutes), and 4. Levent - Haciosman (8.1 km, 12 minutes.) The total length of the European side of the M2 line will reach 23 km (14.3 mi) when all 16 stations from Hacıosman to Yenikapı will be completed; not including the 936 metres long Golden Horn Metro Bridge, the 0.6 km long Taksim-Kabataş tunnel connection with the Seabus port, and the 0.6 km long Yenikapı-Aksaray tunnel connecting the M1 line to the Yenikapı Transfer Center.
On the Asian side, construction is in progress of the remaining portion of the 26.5 km (16.5 mi) long M4 line from Kadıköy to Kaynarca, yielding a total of 19 stations. It cost € 751 million and was built by the Astaldi / Makyol / Gülermak consortium. The first section opened on August 17, 2012, terminating in Kartal. Construction of the 20 km (12.4 mi) long M5 line from Üsküdar via Ümraniye to Sancaktepe started in March 2012.
Operations
The Metro operates from 06:00 a.m. to 00.00 a.m. every 6–10 minutes. M2 Yenikapı - Hacıosman operates from 06:00 a.m. to 00.00 a.m. line During peak-hours the intervals reduce to 3 minutes. There is a flat fare – 2.30 TL with Istanbulkart only (4 TL with token), paid in tokens (which are also valid on the funicular, modern tram, buses and trans-Bosporus ferry boats). Akbil tickets/cards are also valid, which is the most popular method for long distance traveling. The Akbil ticket is valid on all metros, trams, funiculars, ferry boats and buses. Ferryboat and bus fares are not flat, so the price of this transfer ticket also varies depending on the distance to be covered on bus or ferryboat.
Lines
This table lists the metro lines currently in service on the Istanbul Metro. An additional four lines are under-construction or planned.
M1 line
The following stations are served by both the M1A and M1B branch lines:
M2 line
The route splits to form a short one-station spur line at the Sanayi Mahallesi station to the following station:
M3 line
The route splits to form a 'Y' at the İkitelli Sanayi station with the western branch line traveling to the following two northwesterly stations:
M6 line
M4 line
Technical specifications
This table lists technical characteristics of the metro lines that are currently in service or under construction.
Alignment and interchanges
The lines are fully underground and have no connection between them. All station names are on the bus lines as well.
The M2 line has an interchange between F1 in Taksim and an interchange tunnel with the Zincirlikuyu Metrobus station at the Gayrettepe station. There is also a transfer station at Yenikapı with Marmaray, M1 line and İDO Ferry Port; from where it is possible to take the high-speed catamaran Seabus departing for Bursa, Bandırma or Yalova; as well as the other Seabus ports of İstanbul such as Bostancı, Kadıköy, Bakırköy, and Kabataş.
The M3 line has an interchange with the M1B line at the Kirazlı station.
The M4 line has a vapur (traditional ferry), motorboat, İDO and nostalgic tram interchange at Kadıköy which is the heart of İstanbul's Asian side. One can also interchange to Marmaray at the Ayrılık Ceşmesi station. Also at Ünalan / Uzunçayır, the line has a Metrobus interchange just like Gayrettepe in M2.
Rolling stock
Although line M1 is a (light) metro line, its rolling stock—in use since 1989—is made up of typical ABB light rail vehicles (LRVs). These are partly the same as those used on the T4 tramway line.
The first Istanbul full metro rolling stocks, which entered service on September 16, 2000 on the Taksim - 4. Levent line, were built by Alstom. These trains are air conditioned and equipped with LCD screens. On January 30, 2009, the first 8 trains (each with 4 wagons) built by Eurotem (the Turkish factory of Hyundai Rotem) entered service. Today the system has 268 trains. These trains are also air conditioned and equipped with LCD screens, as well as dynamic route map showing the location and direction of the train.
In September 2009, CAF signed a contract to supply 144 units for the M4 line, amounting to 1.156.159 euros. These metro units are formed with 4 cars for a total length of 90 meters and have a maximum transport capacity of 1300 passengers.
European side
- Ataköy (under construction)
- Yenibosna (under construction)
- Çobançeşme (under construction)
- Kuyumcukent (under construction)
- Doğu Sanayi (under construction)
- Mimar Sinan Avenue (under construction)
- Evren District (under construction)
- İkitelli Junction (under construction)
- Mehmet Akif (under construction)
- Bahariye (under construction)
- MASKO (under construction)
- İkitelli Sanayi (under construction)
Asian side
The Üsküdar–Beykoz metro line will run parallel to the Bosporus shoreline.
- Hastane (under construction)
- Şeyhli (under construction)
- Kurtköy (under construction)
- Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (under construction)
- Üsküdar (under construction)
- Fıstıkağacı (under construction)
- Bağlarbaşı (under construction)
- Altunizade (under construction)
- Kısıklı (under construction)
- Bulgurlu (under construction)
- Ümraniye (under construction)
- Çarşı (under construction)
- Yamanevler (under construction)
- Çakmak (under construction)
- Ihlamur Kuyu (under construction)
- Altınşehir (under construction)
- İmam Hatip (under construction)
- Dudullu (under construction)
- Necip Fazıl (under construction)
- Çekmeköy (under construction)
- Bostancı İDO (under construction)
- Suadiye (under construction)
- Upper Bostancı (under construction)
- Kozyatağı (under construction)
- Küçükbakkalköy (under construction)
- İçerenköy (under construction)
- Kayışdağı (under construction)
- Türkiş Blocks (under construction)
- İMES (under construction)
- MODOKO (under construction)
- Dudullu (under construction)
- Upper Dudullu (under construction)
- Depot (under construction)