Public transport in Istanbul

The traffic in Istanbul is the focal point of the road, rail and air transport in the western part of Turkey.

• 3.1 Road traffic
• 3.2 Rail transport
• 3.3 maritime

Transit traffic

Through Istanbul runs the Bosphorus, an important natural waterway that connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Black Sea. Since the year 1936, the Montreux Convention regulates navigation through this strait. In the year 2011 47.715 ships drove through the Bosphorus. For land transport from Europe to Asia, the Bosphorus, however, a traffic obstacle The history of Istanbul is closely associated with these conditions. Today, the European and Asian road network are connected by two highway bridges. In railway ferries make the connection, freight cars are transported on railway ferries. From 2015, the Marmaray tunnel is to allow uninterrupted movement of trains.

Source and destination traffic

Istanbul has two airports, two Fernbusbahnhöfen, two railway stations, the port and its motorway network and an important hub in the national and international passenger and freight haul transport.

Road

From Istanbul making long-distance bus routes to all major cities and regions of the country as well as to some destinations in Europe and the Middle East. The Esenler bus station with 15,000 daily bus movements in the European part of the city is one of the largest bus stations in Europe and one of the main transport hubs in the country and Southeast Europe. The 242,000 -square-foot complex, which takes the bus station is offered, is located in the European part of the Bayrampaşa district, near the eponymous district Esenler.

The motorway network around Istanbul is well developed and is constantly expanding, but the volume of traffic has not grown. In addition to the two ring motorways O-1, with a total length of 87 kilometers, and O 2, with a total length of 38 kilometers, highways lead to Edirne (O -3) and Ankara (O -4).

Rail transport

The long-distance railway is extremely modest for a city of this size. There are two train stations, one of which operate only a few trains a day. One reason for this is the dominant role of bus services in Turkey. Rail passenger long-distance transport of Istanbul is temporarily suspended since 2012 both to Europe and to Asia.

Sirkeci train station, the historic endpoint of the Orient Express, is the terminus for all rail lines on the European side. In long-distance trains daily frequented three of the Turkish state-owned railway company TCDD to Bucharest in Romania with coaches to Sofia in Bulgaria and Belgrade in Serbia and the border station Uzunköprü to the Greek border. Since 2011, no more trains to Greece, since March 19, 2012 will also be the long-distance transport to Bulgaria bauarbeitsbedingt no longer by train, but on the rail replacement bus service with buses settled.

From the Haydarpaşa Station on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus, the starting point of historic Baghdad Railway, drove several times daily trains of TCDD Ankara, more rarely to other destinations in Anatolia, and a weekly flight to Tehran and to Aleppo. Since February 1, 2012 There are no train services due to extensive construction work between Istanbul and Ankara for about 2 years. Whether Haydarpaşa is tied after the opening of the Marmaray project on the Highway, is uncertain.

The two stations are connected by ferry from Eminönü - Haydarpaşa. About the Bosphorus performs no railway, but a tunnel under the Marmaray project in construction. For freight transport run to completion railway ferries.

Maritime traffic

The Ambarli Limanı is the port of Istanbul in Avcılar district. It is the largest port in the country, according to the folded tonnage of bulk he took in 2006 the first place. In the harbor about 38 percent of Turkey's imports and exports as well as 63 percent of the Marmara Region are handled. He is from the Altas Ambarli Liman Tesisleri Tic. A.Ş. operated, founded on 9 September 1992. Haydarpaşa Limanı in Kadıköy is also an important port, which is the main port in the Asian part of Istanbul, with an area of ​​55,000 square meters. From the harbor there is a train to the nearest railhead Haydarpaşa.

The old port on the Golden Horn serves primarily to passenger ships. Line traffic is to Haifa in Israel and Odessa in Ukraine. From Bostanci from there a ferry to Bursa and Yalova.

Traffic

Istanbul has two international airports: The larger one is the Atatürk Airport on the outskirts of the European part of the city in the district Bakırkoy, 24 kilometers west of the city center, the newer, but smaller one is the Sabiha Gökçen Airport, 45 kilometers east of the city ​​center in the Tuzla district of the city.

Transport in the city

Urban transport is hampered by the Ottoman structure of the city and its self-contained quarters. The building of an Ottoman district ( Mahalle ) grouped almost concentric usually a Friday mosque. Few public access roads ( Tarik -i Amm ) and narrow " private " roads ( Tarik -i hate ), often dead ends, given the labyrinthine image. These quarters were only loosely connected.

Also for the inner-city traffic is generated through the Bosporus a particular situation. It is crossed of 1.2 to 1.3 million people every day, 200,000 of them use ferries, all other one of the two road bridges.

Only after the Second World War, wide streets and spacious squares were created with an international consultancy in old Istanbul. A major axis formed while still a major thoroughfare from Sultanahmet to the other side of the country wall that deliberately oriented toward the Constantinian road system. Similar conditions prevailed in the Asian parts of the city. More open streets certain, however, always been the Genoese of Pera or Galata embossed in today's Beyoğlu.

Meanwhile generous internal and access roads and link roads to the districts on the periphery were created throughout the city, where old buildings had to give way.

Tram and metro are gradually expanded. These means of transport are operated on behalf of the city administration of the public transport companies Istanbul ulaşım and IETT that use a uniform tariff system in which the Banliyö Trenleri ( " suburban trains " ) are the Turkish State Railways included (TCDD ). However, Istanbul has (still) not a closed and simple transport network. The lines complement each other so far only rarely. They are usually designed to bring workers from the suburbs to the center. Connections between different parts of the city close to the center are still missing. For a closed transport system, the underground route would have to be expanded to 505 km.

Road

Buses, taxis ( dolmus ), taxis and private cars play an important role. The yellow cabs make up a large share of the total traffic. Since few railway lines exist, bear the brunt of the city buses of public transport. An important nodes, such as Taksim, Eminönü or Beyazıt, there are regular bus stations. Taksim is the major urban endpoint for Dolmuş lines.

Since 17 September 2007, the Bus Rapid Transit system Metrobüs is used on a route in Istanbul. Currently, there are four crossed lines on the whole to the city - mostly on the median strip of the highway - running distance: 34 Avcılar - Zincirlikuyu, 34A Edirnekapı - Söğütlüçeşme ( Transcontinental ride over the bridge) and 34T Avcılar - Topkapı. The 34 is not a random line designation, but a "special " number for Istanbul, as it is the wave number of the city (which you use in car registration and postal codes ).

The transport of goods assume trucks of all sizes. From time to time you can still see a load carrier ( Hamal ), especially on the stairs to the shopping streets between the Grand Bazaar and Galata Bridge.

Rail transport

1997, the share of rail transport was 3.6 % in Istanbul. Through the Marmaray Project and other expansion projects, this value should be increased to 28%.

The S -Bahn lines ( Banliyö Trenleri ) draw on both sides of the Bosphorus, the Sea of ​​Marmara along and so connect the clifftop coastal towns with the Istanbul downtown stations Sirkeci on the European (path length 30 km) and Haydarpaşa on the Asian side (path length 44 km ). The commissioning of the suburban railway took place with the opening track of Küçükçekmece after Yedikule on January 4, 1871 on the European side. Here then made ​​the extensions of Küçükçekmece after Halkalı on 22 April 1872 and Yedikule to Sirkeci terminus on July 27, 1872 opening of the Asian route was on the section Pendik on September 22, 1872 -. Instead Feneryolu. On January 1, 1873, then extended into town and out of town to Gebze on 1 January 1873 to the end station Haydarpaşa.

Through the Marmaray project connect since October 2013 S -Bahn trains in a subsea tunnel the Asian with the European part of Istanbul. The full completion of the project, which includes expanding and connecting the existing S-Bahn routes should take place in 2015.

The metro line M1 provides a fast connection to the airport from the city of Aksaray and to the bus station Esenler. The opening of the now 19.9 km long system found on the section Aksaray on March 11, 1989 - instead of Kocatepe - Kartaltepe. From there we went on the bus Esenler with a stitch line to Esenler (24 December 1989) and on the main line on to Zeytinburnu (31 January 1994), according to Bakırkoy - Incirli (7 March 1995), according to Yenibosna ( 25 August 1995 ) and, finally, to this endpoint airport Atatürk Havalimanı ( 20 December 2002). For a long time working on the tunnel end of the compound according Yenikapı at Municipal. There a large interchange station (light rail, subway, commuter trains, intercity rail and sea bus ). In addition, in the outer region a branch leads from Esenler westward to Kirazlı ( M1B ).

The metro line M2 between Taksim and 4 Levent was opened on 16 September 2000. The 8.4 km long route was extended in 2008 in both directions, according to Sishane in the south, according to Haciosman in the north. Currently, the important connection of Sishane over the Golden Horn to Yenikapı in construction, it will be put into operation before 2013.

The metro line M3 operates between the station Kirazlı the metro line M1B and the Ataturk Olympic Centre and Metro Kent in Başakşehir district.

The Metro line M4 was opened on 17 August 2012. It opens on the Asian side of the south-eastern districts of Kadıköy to Kartal. At the station there is a transfer point for Metrobus Ünalan. In Kadıköy can be switched to the tram line T3. In Ayrılıkçeşme is ( Banliyö Trenleri ) are made with the completion of a transfer possibility Marmarayprojekts to the network of suburban trains.

The light rail line or ' Hafif Metro ' T4. runs from the station to the Topkapı Vatan station where to transfer to metro line M1 is. From here, the T4 runs partly underground and mostly from the rest of traffic separately below the Eski Edirne asfalti boulevards in the north-western parts of the city Mescid -i Selam and Habipler.

The Tünel train between Karaköy and Tünel Square in the situated on the hill Beyoğlu district is a 574 meter long underground funicular line without name, which was opened on 12 January 1875. It is the third oldest underground railway in the world, if you look at this as a subway.

The funicular railway leads from the F1 located on the Bosphorus Kabataş up to Taksim Square. This cutting-edge, running underground funicular railway was opened on 30 June 2006, and connects the about half a kilometer distant endpoints in 110 seconds.

The modern tram line T1, also known as med - Tramvay leads, across the historic Istanbul ( 14.3 km route length ). The opening took place on the section Beyazıt on June 13, 1992 - instead Yusufpaşa. Several route expansions in a row brought extensions to Sirkeci train station (10 July 1992), the stop Topkapı directly behind the old city walls December 29, 1992 and from there on into the district of Zeytinburnu (31 January 1994). The extension from the Sirkeci Train to Eminönü (20 April 1996) and then brought on to Kabataş also the connection of the new Galata Bridge to the districts north of the Golden Horn. From the 18th of May 2006, an additional line T2 Zeytinburnu went on to Bağcılar. Since not enough low-floor trams were available, trains were used on the track, the former " Dalan " that drove earlier on the Sirkeci route and currently operate on the metro line M1 between Aksaray and Havalimanı. It is planned that the lines T1 and T2 together to form a continuous line T1. This then leads from Kabataş after Bağcılar.

The tram line T3 in Moda is a November 1, opened in 2003 as a " nostalgic " tramway between Kadıköy and Moda on the Asian side of the city. There is a only one direction -powered, 2.6 km long ring route that tracks an impressive course through the hilly and crisscrossed by narrow streets district. The route will be operated with old, originating from the GDR tramcar type Gotha. On the vehicles, the line designation is to read 20 ( but this is not a valid line name).

The Nostaljik Tramvay is a 1.6 km long, historic tram line without designation, which operates in the former Pera Street and today's İstiklal Avenue in the Beyoğlu district, between the Tünel Square and Taksim Square. The test carried out with historical vehicles, operations started on 12 April 1990.

For all rail-based transport systems in Istanbul - whether operated by TCDD, Istanbul ulaşım or IETT - applies a uniform tariff and the same payment system.

Maritime traffic

A busy ship traffic is between the European and Asian parts of the city. Car ferries and passenger ships crossing the Bosphorus in dense regular intervals. The main ferry dock in Bakırkoy, Eminönü, Karaköy and Beşiktaş on the European as well as in Beykoz, Kadıköy, Kartal, Maltepe and Üsküdar on the Asian side. Every day there are regular ferries between the three Princes' Islands, Buyukada, Heybeliada and Kınalıada and Bostanci district in the Kadıköy district. The ferries are from the companies İstanbul Deniz Otobüsleri A.Ş. ( IDO fast ferry ) and İstanbul Şehir Hatlari operated.