Istanbul to Antalya Travel Time to be Reduced to 4 Hours 45 Minutes, Says Minister Karaismailoğlu
Turkey’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Adil Karaismailoğlu has outlined plans for new transportation initiatives in Istanbul, including a major new tunnel project. Currently, there is a rail system network of approximately 320 kilometers in Istanbul, but the Istanbul transportation master plan indicates that this should increase to 1100 kilometers, and the new project is aimed at helping to achieve that goal.
The new Great Istanbul Tunnel, which will host 1.3 million citizens daily and serve 6.5 million people, will be located along the current Metrobus route. A train will depart from Söğütlüçeşme, before continuing on to the airport or continuing along the E-5 until it reaches Beylikdüzü. The total length of the route will be 28 kilometers, and it will be integrated with the current station in Bakırköy, as well as being connected to the Beylikdüzü metrobus line. The project is expected to be tendered by the end of the year.
In addition to the Great Istanbul Tunnel project, Minister Karaismailoğlu also provided updates on other transportation initiatives in Istanbul. The construction of the Kağıthane – Istanbul Airport metro line has been completed, and the Kağıthane – Gayrettepe connection will be completed in 2021. Work will also conclude on the Istanbul Airport – Halkalı line, which will have a total length of 31 kilometers and be put into service as a “mega-project” for Istanbulites.
There are also plans to expand the existing Bakırköy coast to Kirazlı metro line, with the aim of reaching completion by the end of the year. With these and other transportation projects in the pipeline, Istanbul is set to become an even more connected and cosmopolitan city in the years to come.
