International Railway Journal - October 2008 - (Page 26) Middle East networks. A questionnaire was Two TCDD Table 1: Cities studied for their recent lines are beingsuburban rail developed and distributed to the upgraded to LRT developments and future plans cities listed in Table 1 to collect metro standard, with the data on both existing and construction of dedicated City Population Urban Response to planned rail systems. Data for tracks alongside the existing (2007) Population (%) questionnaire Istanbul 12,573,836 88.9 Already have data cities which did not respond was line. The 57km Orange Line Ankara 4,466,756 92.7 Partial collected from other sources. from Aliaga will converge at Izmir 3,739,353 84.9 Full Istanbul is the largest city in Alsancak with the 22km Red Bursa 2,439,876 81.2 Full Turkey, with a population of Line from Adnan Menderes Eskisehir 724,849 86.3 Full more than 12.5 million. The first International Airport. Both Konya 1,959,082 72.1 Full LRT line opened in the early lines will open soon. Kayseri 1,165,088 76.8 No Gaziantep 1,563,023 86.1 Full 1990s, and since then, the city has The city of Bursa in the Samsun 1,228,959 59.0 Full increasingly found rail to be a Marmara region of Antalya 1,789,285 63.0 No solution to the looming traffic northwestern Turkey has Adana 2,006,650 80.3 No gridlock in this megacity. The operated a 22.5km two-line 137.3km network of 12 suburban rail, light rail network since 2002. Line 1 existing terminus at Kizilay to Çayyolu. metro and light rail lines carries 964,000 runs from Organize Sanayii to Araba At the other extremity of Line M1, Line passengers per day. The system is Yatagi, while Line 2 starts from Kucuk M3 will be an 18km western extension running at capacity and many areas are Sanayi and joins Line 1 near Acemler. from Batikent to OSB. Finally, Line M4 not served by rail. However, with the A 3.9km extension of Line 2 from will be a completely new line, running uncompromising efforts and Küçük Sanayi to Uludag University is 7.9km from Atatürk Kültür Merkezi in commitment of the city’s Transport currently under construction, partthe city centre to Gazino in the northern Department, rail will extend its reach funded through a ƒ55 million loan from district of Keçiören. A short extension of across a much greater area. the European Investment Bank. Further Line A1 is also under construction. Seven new lines totalling 60km are extensions are proposed that will take under construction and bidding has the network to 50km. In August Extensions begun for a further two lines totalling Bombardier was awarded a ƒ94 million 44km. In addition, two existing contract to supply 30 Flexity Swift LRVs With a population of 3.7 million, commuter lines operated by Turkish as part of the expansion of the network Izmir is the third largest city in Turkey. State Railways (TCDD) will be (see Transit News, page X). Izmir’s first light metro line opened in upgraded to metro standards as part of The central Turkish city of Eskisehir 2000 and runs from Üçyol, in Hatay in the Marmaray project, which will opened its successful light rail network the southern part of the city, northeast provide the first rail connection in December 2004 and Estram, as it is to Bornova. It is 11.6km long and will between the European and Asian known, now carries around 29 million be extended 5.5km from Üçyol to (Anatolian) sides of the Bosphorus. passengers per year. The 16km network Fahrettin Altay. This extension will have As Table 2 shows, Istanbul is the consists of two lines - Line 1 starts from six stations and will be fully biggest market in Turkey for rail Uluonder and runs southeast to the underground. A further extension to investment. The city’s transport plan for Intercity Bus Terminal in Otogar, while Dokuz Eylul University Hospital is the period to 2023 will be completed by Line 2 runs from Osmangazi University planned. The line currently carries early 2009 and this will identify all (ESOGU) northeast to Opera. The two about 30 million passengers per year. future rail projects, lines intersect at and the timescale Çarsi. Eskisehir Table 2: Istanbul rail projects 2008-15 for their completion. has plans to Project Estimated Cost Length Status Opening Ankara is the extend Line 1 ($US million) (km) second largest city southeast to serve Metro and the capital of industrial areas Bagcilar - Ikitelli 800 15.9 Under construction 2008 4 Levant - Ayazaga 580 8 Under construction 2008 the country. It along Ankara Kadikoy - Kartal 1100 21.7 Under construction 2010 currently has one Road, and to the Bakirköy - Bagcilar 450 9 Planning stage 2012 metro (M1) and one northwest along Yenikapi - Bakirköy 350 7 Planning stage 2012 light metro line (A1) Bursa Road. Kabatas - Alibeyköy 500 10 Planning stage 2013 totalling 23.2km. Konya has a Alibeyköy - Bagcilar 725 14.5 Planning stage 2013 Passenger numbers population of Yesilköy - Ikitelli 715 14.3 Planning stage 2015 on lines A1 and M1 nearly 2 million, Suburban in 2007 were around and the first light Marmaray Line 3000 76* Under construction 2010 44 million and 63 rail line opened in Light Metro million respectively. 1992, using Intercity Bus Terminal - Bagcilar 173 5.6 Under construction Four major second-hand Aksaray - Yenikapi 50 0.7 Under construction 2009 projects are trams from Bakirköy - Beylikdüzü 1350 25 Bidding underway 2012 currently underway Cologne. An 8km Üsküdar - Cekmeköy 1250 19 Bidding underway 2012 Haliç Çevresi Tram 136 9.6 Planning stage 2015 that will expand the extension opened network in 1995 and the Light Rail significantly. Line line was extended Topkapi - Edrinekapi 140 3 Under construction 2008 Taksim - Yenikapi 420 5.2 Under construction 2010 M2 is an extension a further 3.3km in of Line M1 and will 2007, taking the * Includes 13.5km tunnel under Bosphorus and upgrading of connecting lines run southwest for line to 21km. Source: City of Istanbul Transport Department, 2008 18km from the Another extension 26 IRJ October 2008
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