Istanbul Metro

Infobox Public transit
name = Istanbul Metro İstanbul metrosu


imagesize =
locale = Istanbul
transit_type = Rapid transit
began_operation = 2000
ended_operation =
system_length = km to mi|8.5|abbr=yes|precision=1
lines = 1
vehicles =
stations = 6
ridership =
track_gauge =
reporting marks =
operator =
owner =

The subway system in Istanbul was initiated in 1992 and was completed in 2000. The first line between Taksim and 4th Levent went into service on September 16, 2000. This line is 8.5 km long and has 6 stations. All stations look similar but are in different colors. Currently there are 8 French built 4-car trains in service, which run every 5 minutes on average and transport 130,000 passengers daily. A trip along the entire line takes 12 minutes. The entire subway was built by the cut-and-cover method to withstand an earthquake of up to 9.0 on the Richter magnitude scale (Metro stations are: 4.Levent, Levent, Gayrettepe, Şişli, Osmanbey, Taksim)

Lines under construction

The northern extension from 4th Levent to Ayazağa is expected to be completed in late 2010. The southern section of the metro from Taksim to Yenikapı, crossing the Golden Horn on a bridge and underground through the old city, is under construction with a tentative completion date of 2012. It will be 5.4 km long with 4 stations. At Yenikapı, it will intersect with the extended light metro, Marmaray, the suburban train lines and seabusses.Yenikapı will therefore become the main transport hube of Greater Istanbul.

22 km long Otogar-Bağcılar-Başakşehir-Olimpiyat Stadı metro line is expected to be completed in 2011.

On the Asian side, a 22 km long new metro line from Kadıköy to Kartal is under construction and scheduled to open in 2012, while the first branch between Kadiköy and Kozyatagi is opening by the end of 2010.

A new underwater tunnel project, Marmaray, is being built to connect the European and Asian sides of the city, joining both the Banlieue Train Systems to create a line connecting Halkali with Gebze, a total of 76,3 km in 105 minutes.This system will cross the Bosporus Straits in an immersed tube tunnel to also connect both Central Stations Ibrahimaga (Asian) and Sirkeci (European). This system will have several transfer stations to the extended Metro system, Light rail, Havaray and Seabusses.

New projects

* Yeşilköy-Atatürk Airport-Bahcelievler-İkitelli metro line. Planned line will be 14.3 km long.
* Bakırköy-Bahçelievler-Bağcılar metro line. Planned line will be 8.8 km long.
* Yenikapı-Bakırköy (D-100) metro line. Planned line will be 7 km long.
* Kabataş-Beşiktaş-Mecidiyeköy-Kagithane-Alibeyköy metro line. Planned line will be 10 km long.

tations

* 4.Levent
* Levent
* Gayrettepe
* Şişli
* Osmanbey
* Taksim

ee also

* Public transport in Istanbul
* Istanbul LRT
* Ankara Metro, the metro network serving Ankara, Turkey's capital

External links

* [http://www.istanbul-ulasim.com.tr/en/default.asp İstanbul Transportation Co.]