Marmaray, defined as the B1 (Suburban 1) line on Istanbul's transportation map, is one of the city's longest rail systems, extending to Gebze within the provincial borders of Kocaeli. This line, connecting the Asian and European continents beneath the seabed, is among the largest infrastructure projects implemented in Istanbul in recent years. With its high-capacity passenger transport potential, Marmaray plays a critical role in both urban transportation and intercity railway connections.
Marmaray Animation Film (Anadolu Agency)
History
The origins of the Marmaray project date back to the Ottoman era. The idea of connecting two continents under the Bosphorus first emerged in 1860 during the reign of Sultan Abdülmecid, with the aim of uniting the Sirkeci and Haydarpaşa stations through an underwater tunnel project called "Cisr-i Enbubi," prepared by French engineer Prerault.
In 1892, Sultan Abdülhamid II commissioned the drawing of this project. However, due to technological inadequacies of the time and subsequent wars, the project couldn't be realized.
The First Project Planned During The Ottoman Period. (Anadolu Agency)
In the 1980s, the issue of connecting the Asian and European continents by railway was brought up again, and feasibility studies were conducted in 1987 during the Turgut Özal (8th President of Türkiye) era. The project, which resurfaced in the 2000s, was initiated in May 2004 with the approval of then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Tunnel excavations began on December 21, 2006. The deepest point of Marmaray is the tube tunnel that descends 60 meters below the Marmara Sea.
Subsequently, the project had to be halted due to the discovery of archaeological findings at the Yenikapı excavation site. The Yenikapı salvage excavations, which began in 2004, continued until 2013; the project resumed after the findings on the site were individually excavated and examined. On August 4, 2013, the first test drive on Marmaray was carried out by a delegation led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
On October 29, 2013, the 90th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey, the first phase of Marmaray became operational with the opening of the 13.6 km section between Kazlıçeşme (Europe) and Ayrılıkçeşmesi (Asia). The stations on this route are: Ayrılıkçeşmesi, Üsküdar, Sirkeci, Yenikapı, and Kazlıçeşme.
Marmaray's Opening. (Anadolu Agency)
The opening ceremony at Üsküdar Square was attended by President Abdullah Gül, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his wife Emine Erdoğan, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Cemil Çiçek and his wife Gülten Çiçek, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Romanian Prime Minister Viktor Ponta, and Minister of Transport Binali Yıldırım, who all traveled together by train.
After the completion of the project, Marmaray not only connected the European and Asian sides of Istanbul, but it also began to serve as a strategic crossing point, providing seamless railway transportation between Beijing and London.
Marmaray's First Service (Anadolu Agency)
Before Marmaray's opening, an average of 140,000 passengers passed in one direction per hour across both Bosphorus bridges, whereas after Marmaray's opening, this number dropped to 75,000. This has been a statistic demonstrating that a significant portion of the transportation burden in a megacity like Istanbul, with its heavy traffic, is met by Marmaray. A few years after the opening of the initial line, the Gebze–Halkalı line commenced service on March 12, 2019, with a ceremony held at Istanbul's Kartal Square, attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony At Marmaray Opening (TCDD)
Thus, the length of the Marmaray line has reached 76.6 kilometers, and the number of stations has reached 43. The journey time between Gebze and Halkalı is 108 minutes. As of 2023, looking at Marmaray's 10-year report card, the total number of passengers has exceeded 1 billion.
Current Marmaray Stations
1. Anatolian Side: Gebze, Darıca, Osmangazi, GTÜ–Fatih, Çayırova, Tuzla, İçmeler, Aydıntepe, Güzelyalı, Tersane, Kaynarca, Pendik, Yunus, Kartal, Başak, Atalar, Cevizli, Maltepe, Süreyya Plajı, İdealtepe, Küçükyalı, Bostancı, Suadiye, Erenköy, Göztepe, Feneryolu, Söğütlüçeşme, Ayrılıkçeşmesi, Üsküdar.
2. European Side: Sirkeci, Yenikapı, Kazlıçeşme, Fişekhane, Yenimahalle, Bakırköy, Ataköy, Yeşilyurt, Yeşilköy, Florya Akvaryum, Florya, Küçükçekmece, Mustafa Kemal, Halkalı
Marmaray Stations (Marmaray)
