Public transport in Istanbul
Public transport in Istanbul comprises a bus network, various rail systems, funiculars, and maritime services to serve the more than 15 million inhabitants of the city spread over an area of 5,712 km2.
History
Public road transport in
The tram network was electrified by overhead contact wire on 2 February 1914. The tram began to run on the Anatolian part of Istanbul on 8 June 1928 between Üsküdar and Kısıklı. By the 1950s, the length of the tram lines reached 130 km (81 mi). The trams were on service on the European side of the city until 12 August 1961 and on the Asian side until 14 November 1966.
The same time as the horsecar started to run, construction of the Tünel, a short funicular between Pera and Galata, began on 30 July 1871. The funicular opened to service on 5 December 1874, the second oldest subway in the world after the London Underground. In the beginning, only freight and livestock were transported. On 17 January 1875, after completing the test runs, the funicular was opened to the public. It is still in service.
A commuter rail line was built on the European side of the city from
The ferry is one of the oldest means of transit in Istanbul, a city with two parts separated by the
Bus transportation in Istanbul started in 1926 with four Renault-Scania buses between Beyazıt and Karaköy. The fleet grew up from 9 buses in 1942 to 16 in 1955 and to 525 buses in 1960, and then became the backbone of public transport in an ever-enlarging city.
Several British and French companies operated all public transport in Istanbul until 16 June 1939,[2] the date of nationalization. The newly established company İETT (Istanbul Electric Tram and Tünel Company) took over from then on the task of public transport in Istanbul.
On 27 May 1961, trolleybuses were put in service first between Topkapı and Eminönü following the elimination of trams. However, the last trolleybuses were taken out of service in 1984,[3] because they hindered the growing traffic in the narrow streets of the old city.[citation needed]
In 1988, a company called Ulaşım A.Ş. (Transport Inc.) was established to run the services of
Transportation today
Metro
The first line (M1) began service on 3 September 1989 between
The construction of the underground railway in Istanbul began in 1992. The first line (M2) between Taksim and 4th Levent went into service on September 16, 2000. This line is 8.5 km long and has 6 stations, which all look similar but are in different colours.
A northern extension from 4th Levent to Atatürk Oto Sanayi station in Maslak (ITÜ/Ayazağa) entered service in 2009, as well as a southern extension from[6] Taksim to Şişhane station in Beyoğlu, near the northern entrance of Tünel. The last northern extension for the short term, Hacı Osman was opened in 2011. The southern extension of M2 from Şişhane to Yenikapı over the new Golden Horn Bridge was opened in 2013 permitting the line to reach the Yenikapı Transfer Center. Finally the Airport (M1A) and Bağcılar (M1B) lines' eastern terminus was extended from Aksaray to this transfer center in 2014.
The M3 line runs from Kirazlı station on the M1 line to the northern Başakşehir district. It opened on 14 June 2013. A northern extension to Kayaşehir Merkez was opened on 8 April 2023 and a southern extension to Bakırköy IDO station is still under construction.[7]
M6 is a line branching off the M2 from the Levent station running east towards Hisarüstü and Boğaziçi University. It opened on 19 April 2015.[8]
On the Asian side, 33.5 km (20.8 mi) long M4 line opened on 17 August 2012 up to Kartal. The line will have a total of 25 stations when the third section as far as Tuzla opens.
There is also M5, which links Üsküdar, Ümraniye and Çekmeköy. A further extension to the Sancaktepe and the Sultanbeyli districts is under construction.
Currently there are 124
All lines are operated by Metro Istanbul (the new name of Istanbul Ulaşım A.Ş.) which belongs to the Municipality of Istanbul.[10]
Tram
Istanbul inaugurated horse trams in 1872 and these served the people of Istanbul until 1912. Following this date, electric trams were put in place and they were the main means for urban public transport until 1966. Many routes were built step by step, and it reached their most widespread network in 1956 with 108 million passengers in 270 shuttles in 56 lines. Tramcars were not modernized for many decades, and some of the 1911 electric cars were still running in the 1960s. At that time modern buses provided faster and smoother journeys. Because of those negative issues, tram system closed in mid-1960s.
From the early 1970s, traffic congestion worsened. By the mid-1980s, Istanbulites realized that the uncontrolled extension of motorization & closure of the tram network had been a mistake. Other cities around the world, e.g. Tunis and Buenos Aires, also understood that error, and like them, Istanbul also planned the return of the tramway.
As an experiment, Istanbul first opened a
The modern tram consists of lines
Commuter rail
Starting from June 2013, suburban lines on both sides of the city (
On 12 March 2019, all parts of the Marmaray were opened. A further extension to Bahçeşehir via Ispartakule is operated as a shuttle from Halkalı station.
Funicular
Istanbul is served by three underground funicular railways, of very different ages and styles.
The older of these lines is the Tünel. This line is the oldest underground metro line in continental Europe, and the second in the world after London. The Tünel is 573 m long with an altitude difference of 60 m and no intermediate stations between Karaköy and Tünel Square. It has been continuously in service since 1875. It was originally steam-powered with two wooden trains serving parallel tracks. It was modernized in 1971. Today the line is single-track with a passing loop, electrically powered and runs on rubber tyres with rebuilt ex-RATP MP 55 vehicles. A trip takes approximately 1.5 minutes. About 15,000 people use the line each day. Unlike the modern one below which runs at strictly five-minute intervals, this one has a less regular schedule.
Opened in June 2006, a second modern funicular line, the
In October 2022 the newest funicular line the
Bus rapid transit (BRT)
The
An extension to Beylikdüzü opened in 2012.[16]
Brand | Model | Capacity | Piece | Fleet Code |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mercedes-Benz | Capacity | 193 | 249 | M3001-M3250 |
Mercedes-Benz | Conecto | 160 | 217 | M4501-M4765/M4801-M4926 |
Otokar | Kent XL
|
220 | 120 | O5001-O5120 |
Akia | Ultra LF 25 | 289 | 106 | A5001-A5107 |
Bus system
The bus fleet has a total of 4,012
Since 1985, privately owned ÖHO (Özel Halk Otobüsü - Private Public Bus) buses have been allowed to operate under the authority of İETT. There are 2,157 private owned public buses, including 144 double-deckers.[21] There are 783 bus lines excluding diversions as of May 21, 2018.[22] Many routes have diversions running one roundtrip a day on average, which usually feed less developed suburbs around frequent routes. Some routes also provide short turning services at peak hours for crowded stops. Those diversions are listed under the same headsign reference as main route. Buses running diversion routes do not display route numbers, spelling out the route on the headsign in detail instead.
In 2010, the municipality decided to found a new company called Otobüs A.Ş. (Bus Inc.) in order to more quickly replace old vehicles.
Brand | Model | Production Years | Type | Quantity | Fleet Code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Akia | Ultra LF25 | 2021 | Double Articulated | 106 | A5001-A5107 |
BMC | Procity | 2012 | Solo | 4 | B3001-B3004 |
2016 | 44 | B4001-B4044 | |||
Procity TR | 2017 | 381 | B5001-B5381 | ||
Karsan BM | Avancity +CNG | 2013 | 239 | K1001-K1248 | |
Avancity S | 2013 | Articulated | 299 | K1501-K1810 | |
Mercedes-Benz | Citaro | 2006-2007 | Solo | 392 | M2001-M2394 |
Citaro G | 2006 | Articulated | 99 | M2501-M2600 | |
CapaCity | 2007-2008-2009 | 249 | M3001-M3250 | ||
Conecto G | 2012 | 265 | M4501-M4765 | ||
2015 | 126 | M4801-M4926 | |||
Conecto | * 2012 | Solo | 13 | M4001-M4013 | |
Otokar | Kent 290 LF | 2013 | Solo | 898 | O1001-O1306/O2001-O2306/O3001-O3303 |
* 2012 | 23 | O4001-O4023 | |||
Otokar Kent XL | 2021 | Articulated | 120 | O5001-O5120 | |
Kent LF
|
* 2023 | Solo | 8 | O4101-O4108 | |
Temsa
|
Temsa Avenue | * 2014 | Solo | 107 | T1001-T1108 |
Total | 3375 |
Bus Depots
Depot | District | Type |
---|---|---|
Anatolian Side | ||
Anadolu | Ataşehir | City service |
Hasanpaşa Şehit Ahmet Dokuyucu | Kadıköy | Metrobüs
|
Kurtköy | Pendik | City service |
Samandıra Parklanma | Sancaktepe | |
Sarıgazi | ||
Şahinkaya | Beykoz | |
Yunus | Kartal | |
European Side | ||
Avcılar Merkez Kampüsü | Avcılar | Metrobüs |
Beylikdüzü | Beylikdüzü | |
Cebeci | Sultangazi | City service |
Edirnekapı | Eyüpsultan | Metrobüs |
İkitelli | Küçükçekmece | City service |
Kağıthane | Kağıthane | |
Topkapı | Fatih |
Ferries
Today, there are 3 main ferry operators in İstanbul: the municipally owned
Şehir Hatları ferries sail on 32 lines serving 53 piers on the shores of the Bosphorus as well as the Princes' Islands.[27] The 30 ferries of the Şehir Hatları carried 40 million passengers in 2023.[28]
The first steam ferries appeared on the Bosphorus in 1837 and were operated by private sector companies. On 1 January 1851, the Şirket-i Hayriye (literally “The Goodwill Company”, as the Istanbul Ferry Company was originally called) was established by the Ottoman state. The Şirket-i Hayriye, renamed Şehir Hatları in the early republican period, continued to operate the city's commuter ferries until 1937, when they under the direction of the state-owned Türkiye Denizcilik İşletmeleri (TDİ) (“Turkish Maritime Lines ”).[29] The TDİ was largely privatized in the early 2000s and ownership of the Şehir Hatları was transfered to the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality in March 2006. In 2017, the municipality established a system for musicians to play live music for passengers in the lower salons of most ferry lines.
The design of the Istanbul vapur ferries have largely been influenced by the
The oldest vapur in operation, Paşabahçe, was built by Cantieri Navali di Taranto SPA, Taranto, Italy in 1952. Since then, most vapurs have been constructed at the Haliç, Hasköy, Camialtı, and İstinye Shipyards in Istanbul.[30]
High-Speed Ferries
On 16 April 1987 the Municipality of Istanbul established a company to provide fast sea transport with catamaran-type high-speed ferries. With the first ten vessels purchased from Norway, modernization of sea transportation was achieved. Today, the, now privately owned, İDO serves 29 terminals with a fleet of 28 catamarans, including six high-speed car ferries.
Aerial lift
There is a short gondola lift line above the Democracy Park in the valley between Taksim and Maçka, the Maçka Gondola (Turkish: Maçka-Taşkışla Teleferiği), built in 1993. It connects the hotels Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus on one side with Parksa Hilton and Swissotel The Bosphorus on the other side. The cable line is 333 m (1,093 ft) long and transports in two cabins with six seats each around 1,000 passengers daily. The trip takes three minutes.
A second aerial lift line, the
Statistics
The average time that people spend commuting with public transit in Istanbul, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 91 min. About 30% of public transit users ride for more than 2 h every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 19 min, and 36% of riders wait for over 20 min on average every day. The average distance that people usually ride in a single trip by public transit is 12 km, and 35% travel for over 12 km.[31]
Smart Ticket
Istanbul has an integrated electronic ticket system for bus, funiculars, LRT, metro, commuter trains, ferryboats and trams. The system uses smart RFID cards, called Istanbulkart, as tickets. The old Akbil iButtons were phased out in 2015.
-
Istanbul Jeton
-
Jetonmatik
-
Akbil (smart ticket)
-
Istanbulkart
-
Biletmatik
See also
- Istanbul nostalgic tramways
- Sabiha Gökçen Airport
- Metrobus (Istanbul)
- Ferries in Istanbul
- Istanbul Airport
- Istanbul Metro
- Istanbul Tram
- Marmaray
- Boji (dog)
References
- ^ "Şehir Hatları Vapurları | Vapurların Tarihi | İskele ve Vapur Kiralama Hizmetleri | Şirketi Hayriye Sanat Galerisi". Archived from the original on 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2012-07-01.
- ^ "İETT - İstanbul Elektrik Tramvay ve Tünel İşletmeleri Genel Müdürlüğü".
- ISBN 0-904235-18-1.
- ^ "İstanbul Ulaşım A.Ş." (PDF) (in Turkish). 23 January 2023.
- ^ "İstanbul Ulaşım A.Ş. - Raylı Sistemler". Archived from the original on 2010-07-23.
- ^ "Hacıosman Metro İstasyonu Açıldı: Taksim 24 Dakika". Archived from the original on 2011-05-25.
- ^ "Kirazlı-Başakşehir/Metrokent Metro Hattı".
- ^ "Levent-Boğaziçi Ü./Hisarüstü Metro Hattı".
- ^ tr:M4 hattı
- ^ "İstanbul Ulaşım A.Ş. - Kurumsal". Archived from the original on 2012-05-03.
- ^ "Global transport and transport solutions around the world". Archived from the original on 2012-06-25. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
- ^ a b "İstanbul Ulaşım A.Ş. - Raylı Sistemler". Archived from the original on 2010-07-23.
- ^ "Taksim-Kabataş Füniküler Hattı". www.metro.istanbul. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-05-12. Retrieved 2011-03-26.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ a b "İETT - İstanbul Elektrik Tramvay ve Tünel İşletmeleri Genel Müdürlüğü".
- ^ "Avcılar-Beylikdüzü metrobüs denemeleri başladı - Son Dakika Flaş Haberler". 11 December 2018.
- ^ "İETT - İstanbul Elektrik Tramvay ve Tünel İşletmeleri Genel Müdürlüğü".
- ^ a b c d e "Otobüs AŞ". Archived from the original on 2016-11-27. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
- ^ "İETT - İstanbul Elektrik Tramvay ve Tünel İşletmeleri Genel Müdürlügü". Archived from the original on 2012-06-15. Retrieved 2012-06-15.
- ^ "İstanbul Kara Ulaşım Yolculuk Payları". Archived from the original on 2012-06-15. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
- ^ "İETT - İstanbul Elektrik Tramvay ve Tünel İşletmeleri Genel Müdürlügü". Archived from the original on 2012-06-15. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
- ^ "İETT Otobüs Hatları". İETT (in Turkish).
- ^ tr:İstanbul Otobüs AŞ
- ^ "İETT rekor kırdı - Son Dakika Ekonomi Haberleri". 6 February 2015.
- ^ tr:Vapur
- ^ "İstanbul Deniz Otobüsleri - Online Bilet Al | ido.com.tr". www.ido.com.tr. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
- ^ sehirhatlari.istanbul https://sehirhatlari.istanbul/en/corporate/sehir-hatlari-616. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ sehirhatlari.istanbul https://sehirhatlari.istanbul/tr/kurumsal/sehir-hatlari-616. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ "Şehir Hatları", Vikipedi (in Turkish), 2024-01-28, retrieved 2024-04-04
- ^ "Şehir Hatları Gemileri ( Vapurları )". sehirhatlari.istanbul. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
- ^ "Istanbul Public Transportation Statistics". Global Public Transit Index by Moovit. Retrieved June 19, 2017. Material was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
External links
Istanbul public transport websites
These official websites include timetables and maps Buses & Funicular
Trains & Trams
- Metro Istanbul (operator of Istanbul's modern rail systems)
- Marmaray (contains general information about the line/project including timetables)
Ferry Services
- Şehir Hatları (municipal operator of traditional ferries within İstanbul)
- İDO Istanbul Sea Busses (private operator of high-speed urban and intercity ferries)
- Turyol (private operator of ferries within İstanbul)
- Dentur Avrasya (another private operator of ferries within İstanbul)
Interactive Transit Maps
- http://www.istanbulmetromap.com Metrobus / Metro / Tramway
Other links
- Timeline of the Istanbul (Turkey) Rail Transit Network - CityRailTransit.com
- The Istanbul metro - UrbanRail.net
- Public Transport by Rail in Turkish Cities - Rail Turkey