Istanbul expands rail network with new Asian-side metro line

A new metro line will be built along the Bosphorus on Istanbul’s Asian side for the first time, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said.

The Ümraniye-Kavacık-Beykoz metro line will connect densely populated areas of the city that currently lack public transport options other than buses. The 17.5-kilometre line will have 14 stations and offer transfers to the existing driverless M5 line and the M14 line under construction, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

Three stations on the new line will be located directly on the Bosphorus shore, marking a first for Istanbul.

The project comes as Istanbul continues to expand its rail network, with work on the Halkalı–Istanbul Airport metro line also progressing. The line is set to strengthen connections between the city’s European side and Istanbul Airport and forms part of the 69-kilometre, fully underground M11 route, one of the world’s longest metro lines.

Istanbul boasts one of Türkiye’s most extensive urban transportation networks, including metro, tram, funicular, cable car, Metrobus, suburban rail and ferry services. Most of the city’s rail systems are operated by Metro Istanbul, while the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure oversees lines such as the M11 Istanbul Airport metro.

By Jeyhun Aghazada