Marmaray is a 76.6-kilometre-long (47.6 mi) commuter rail line located in Istanbul, Turkey. The line runs from Halkalı, on the European side, to Gebze, on the Asian side, along the north shore of the Sea of Marmara. Mostly using the right-of-way of two existing commuter rail lines, the Marmaray line linked the two lines via a tunnel under the Bosporus strait, becoming the first standard gauge rail connection between Europe and Asia. The two existing sections of the line were rebuilt and expanded from two-tracks to three-tracks, to allow for higher capacity with intercity and freight rail. The name Marmaray is a portmanteau of the words Marmara and Ray, which is Turkish for rail.
Sirkeci railway station, listed on maps as Istanbul railway station, is a railway terminal in Istanbul, Turkey. The terminal is located in Sirkeci, on the tip of Istanbul's historic peninsula, right next to the Golden Horn and just northwest of Gülhane Park and the Topkapı Palace. Sirkeci Terminal on the European side of the Bosporus strait, along with Haydarpaşa Terminal on the Asian side, are Istanbul's two intercity and commuter railway terminals. Built in 1890 by the Oriental Railway as the eastern terminus of the world-famous Orient Express that once operated between Paris and Istanbul in the period between 1883 and 2009, Sirkeci Terminal has become a symbol of the city. As of 19 March 2013, service to the station was indefinitely suspended due to the rehabilitation of the existing line between Kazlıçeşme and Halkalı for the new Marmaray commuter rail line. On 29 October 2013, a new underground station was opened to the public and is serviced by Marmaray trains travelling across the Bosphorus. Station reopened on 26 February 2024 as part of T6 line. Sirkeci Terminal has a total of 4 platforms with 7 tracks. Formerly, commuter trains to Halkalı would depart from tracks 2, 3 and 4; while regional trains to Kapıkule, Edirne and Uzunköprü, along with international trains to Bucharest, Sofia and Belgrade would depart from tracks 1 and 5.
The Istanbul Metro is a rapid transit railway network that serves the city of Istanbul, Turkey. Apart from the M11 line, which is operated by TCDD Taşımacılık, the system is operated by Metro Istanbul, a public enterprise controlled by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The oldest section of the metro is the M1 line, which opened in 1989. As of January 2024, the system now includes 138 stations in service, with 55 more under construction.
Line M1, officially referred to as the M1 Yenikapı–Atatürk Airport/Kirazlı metro line, also known as the Istanbul Light Metro, is a rapid transit line of the Istanbul Metro. It is colored red on the maps and route signs. Opened in 1989, it was the first rapid transit line in Istanbul and Turkey and its opening started the revival of mass-transit in Turkish cities.
The Ankara–Istanbul high-speed railway, is a 562 km (349 mi) long high-speed railway linking Ankara and Istanbul in Turkey. The railway runs mostly parallel to the Istanbul-Ankara railway and passes through some of Turkey's most urbanized areas. The line hosts high-speed YHT train service with a maximum operating speed of 250 km/h (160 mph).
The Istanbul suburban railway, locally referred to as B1, was an important rail line in Istanbul, Turkey. It was operated by the Turkish State Railways and was one of Istanbul's two commuter rail lines. Carrying an average of 22,200 passengers daily, it was the second-busiest commuter railway in Turkey, after the Haydarpaşa suburban.
Söğütlüçeşme railway station is a railway station in the Kadıköy district of Istanbul, Turkey. Up until 2013, the station was serviced by commuter trains as well as regional and intercity trains. Söğütlüçeşme was closed down on 19 June 2013 for the rehabilitation and expansion of the railway for the new Marmaray commuter rail system. Located 1.46 km (0.91 mi) east from Haydarpaşa station, it is situated upon a viaduct with two island platforms with four tracks.
The M4, officially referred to as the M4 Kadıköy - Sabiha Gökçen Airport metro line, is a 33.5-kilometre (20.8 mi), 23-station rapid transit line of the Istanbul Metro. It is colored deep pink on the maps and route signs. Running between Kadıköy and Sabiha Gökçen Airport, it is the first rapid transit line operating on the Asian side of Istanbul. The M4 mostly runs under State road D100, parallel to the Istanbul-Ankara railway and is entirely underground.
The Haydarpaşa suburban, also known as the Haydarpaşa-Gebze line and numbered as B2, was a commuter rail line operated by the Turkish State Railways, between Haydarpaşa Terminal in Kadıköy to Gebze. Since its opening in 1951, it was the busiest commuter rail line and busiest TCDD service in Turkey, until it was discontinued in 2013.
Bostancı railway station is a railway station in Kadıköy, Istanbul and is the easternmost station in the district. Located along Bağdat Avenue in the Bostancı neighborhood of Kadıköy, it was a station on the Haydarpaşa suburban between 1951 and 2013, when the railway between Haydarpaşa and Pendik was closed. On 12 March 2019 the station reopened to Marmaray commuter rail service. Prior to 2012, the station was also serviced by many intercity trains to Ankara and Anatolia as well as frequent regional train service to Adapazarı. Bostancı station is 8.64 km (5.37 mi) away from Haydarpaşa Terminal.
Bakırköy railway station is the main railway station in Bakırköy, Istanbul. Located 12.6 km (7.8 mi) west of Sirkeci station, the station was serviced by Istanbul suburban commuter trains as well as TCDD regional trains to Kapıkule, Çerkezköy and Uzunköprü. The station was closed in March 2013 and subsequently demolished to make way for a larger, more modern station as part of the Marmaray project. The rebuilt station was opened on 12 March 2019.
Cankurtaran is an railway station on the Istanbul suburban, in Istanbul, Turkey. It is located in the neighborhood of Cankurtaran in the historic peninsula of İstanbul. The station is located on Şadırvan Street. Cankurtaran is just a block north of Kennedy Boulevard, along with the shoreline and a few blocks south of the Hagia Sophia and the Imperial Gate to the Topkapı Palace. The station was built in 1955 by the Turkish State Railways to be used by commuter trains operating between Sirkeci and Halkalı.
Kocamustafapaşa station is a railway station on the Sirkeci-Kazlıçeşme Line. The station is located in the Samatya neighborhood of Istanbul's Fatih district. Kocamustafapaşa was closed in 2013 due to the closure of the whole B1 line, after the opening of the new Marmaray line. The station was renovated and reopened as part of the T6 line that was inaugurated in February 2024.
The İstanbul–Pythion railway is the main railway line in Eastern Thrace and is the Turkish State Railways trunk line to Europe. It was built in 1873 as part of the Chemins de fer Orientaux main line between İstanbul and Belgrade. It is 281.4 km (174.9 mi) long. The line is an important freight corridor for the country.
Yenikapı is an indefinitely closed railway station on the İstanbul-Halkalı Line in the Yenikapı neighborhood of Istanbul, Turkey. The station was built in 1872 by the Oriental Railway which was then taken over by the Turkish State Railways in 1937 and electrified in 1955. The station is situated near the south end of the busy Gazi Mustafa Kemal Paşa Boulevard and one block north of Kennedy St, two major inner-city roadways and is 4.8 km (3.0 mi) west of Sirkeci Terminal. Due to the rehabilitation of the line between Halkalı and Kazlıçeşme for future Marmaray commuter service, Yenikapı was indefinitely closed on 19 March 2013. On 29 October 2013, the new underground Yenikapı railway station, which makes up a part of the new Yenikapı Transfer Center, was opened along with the trans-Bosphorus Marmaray tunnel. The new Yenikapı complex is located right next to the existing railway station and is serviced by 3 lines of the Istanbul Metro.
Kazlıçeşme railway station is a railway station in Zeytinburnu, Istanbul and the current terminus of the trans-Bosporus Marmaray commuter rail line. Located just outside of the city's historic walled center, Kazlıçeşme station sits between 10. Yıl Avenue and Zakirbaşı Street. The station is 8.6 km (5.3 mi) west of Sirkeci station.
Yenikapı Transfer Center, referred to as Yenikapı, is an underground transportation complex in Istanbul. It is located in south-central Fatih in the neighborhood of Yenikapı, hence the name of the hub. The complex is right next to the indefinitely closed Yenikapı railway station and a short walk away from the Yenikapı Ferry Terminal and İDO ferry service. Yenikapı complex links two stations of Istanbul Metro to a railway station of the Turkish State Railways on the trans-Bosphorus Marmaray tunnel. Yenikapı is the largest rapid transit station in Turkey.
Kumkapı is an railway station on the İstanbul-Halkalı Line in Istanbul. The station is located in southeastern Fatih along Kennedy Boulevard and is 3.8 km (2.4 mi) away from Sirkeci Terminal. The station was built in 1872 by the Rumelia Railway as part of the extension of their mainline into İstanbul's city center. The station was rebuilt and electrified in 1955 for the start of commuter service between Sirkeci and Halkalı. Kumkapı was indefinitely closed in 2013 due to the rehabilitation and construction of the new Marmaray line. Station reopened in 2024 as part of the T6.
Kartal railway station is a railway station in Kartal, Istanbul. The station was a stop on the Haydarpaşa suburban between 1951 and 2013, when the railway between Haydarpaşa and Pendik was closed. The station reopened to Marmaray commuter rail service on 12 March 2019. Prior to 2012, Kartal station was also a stop on the popular Adapazarı Express regional rail service to Adapazarı.
The T6 Sirkeci–Kazlıçeşme Tramway Line or U3 Sirkeci–Kazlıçeşme Rail Line is a tram line, rail line or light rail line that operates between the Sirkeci Terminal and Kazlıçeşme Station.
