Istanbul metro: map, photo, description
Istanbul metro map
Istanbul Metro (Metrosu) was opened on September 16, 2000 and currently includes four lines M1, M2, M3 and M4, 62 stations in operation and 23 under construction. Lines under construction or planning are: M5 (Üsküdar-Çekmeköy / Sancaktepe) on the Asian side, M7 (Mecidiyeköy-Mahmutbey) and mini-metro (Levent-Hisarüstü) on the European side.
Istanbul is home to the oldest underground railway tunnel in continental Europe, which was commissioned on January 17, 1875. It is a short line of two stations with a two-car train. The line connects the two districts Karaköy and Beyoğlu.
Construction of the first metro line (M2) began in 1991 and the first section between Taksim and 4 Levent was opened after some delays in September 2000. All Istanbul metro stations have escalators (a total of 87 escalators, of which 16 are in Taksim) and elevators, in order to ensure full accessibility for the disabled. The metro was originally served by French 4-car trains (Alstom). Istanbul is located in a seismically active area, so the metro was built in an open way, and according to the project it should withstand an earthquake of up to 9 points.
By 2015, the existing commuter rail lines - one on the European side (Sirkeci - Halkali, 27.5 km, every 20 min) and one on the Asian side (Hayderpasa - Gebze, 44 km, every 20 min) will be upgraded and then connected with the Marmaray tunnel. The intercontinental railway tunnel will also be used for long-distance trains.
Istanbul metro stations are similar, although the colors of each station are different. Platforms length is 180 m.
Istanbul metro opening hours
Istanbul Metro operates from 6:00 to 24:00. Depending on the line and time of day, train intervals range from 4-5 minutes during peak hours to 5-15 minutes at other times.
Istanbul metro tickets
Travel on the Istanbul metro as for other types of public transport (bus, tram, boat and funicular) can be paid for with one-time plastic tokens or cards. Traveling with the Istanbulkart card will be cheaper, but you have to pay for the card itself.
Photos of Istanbul metro
Istanbul metro map
