• Publish Date
  04.02.2020
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Third Halted Metro Construction In Istanbul Is Restarted

Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Ekrem Imamoglu gives priority to metro investments as he promised. Construction works at “Kaynarca-Pendik-Tuzla” metro line, which was the third halted project after Sultanbeyli and Atasehir metro lines are restarted again. Mayor Imamoglu gave the good news that they are going to recommission Mecidiyekoy-Mahmutbey Metro Line and Eminonu - Alibeykoy Tram Line this year.

A ceremony to restart the construction works for "Kaynarca-Pendik-Tuzla Metro Line" which was halted 2 years ago by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The ceremony took place at the central construction site in Pendik. Apart from the Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Ekrem Imamoglu, Republican People’s  Party Deputies Turan Aydogan and Gokan Zeybek, French Consul General for Istanbul Bertrand Buchwalter, Mayor of Kartal Gokhan Yuksel, IMM Spokesman Murat Ongun, IMM Deputy Secretary General for Transportation Ibrahim Orhan Demir, IMM Head of Rail System Department Pelin Alpkokin, IMM Assembly CHP Group Spokesperson Tarık Balyali, IMM Assembly IYI Party Group Deputy Chairman Ibrahim Ozkan, council members and muhtars participated in the ceremony.

“WE ARE VERY SORRY FOR OUR LOSS”

Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Ekrem Imamoglu delivered a speech at the ceremony and gave condolences to Turkish soldiers who lost their lives because of the treacherous attack in Idlib, Syria. Mayor Imamoglu said, “I express my regret for our 6 martyrs. May God rest their souls. Our nation is deeply sorry for this loss. These sad events hurt us all. It is a process that deeply upset all our citizens who are here or not. I hope that we will establish peace together with the countries that fully fulfil their responsibilities for achieving peace, which is the expectation of each of us, our country or even the whole world. We are very sad and very sorry for our loss”.

“WE PRIORITISE TRANSPORTATION, ESPECIALLY METRO”

Stating that they gave priority to transportation and rail system investments as they promised during the election process, Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu said that Kaynarca-Pendik-Tuzla Metro Line is one of the most important rail systems in the eastern Istanbul. Expressing that they have made great efforts to streamline the irregular transportation planning system in Istanbul and to establish it’s financing, Mayor Imamoglu said:

“Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality launched the tender of some metro lines as you know; however, we restarted the construction of Cekmekoy-Sancaktepe-Sultanbeyli and Umraniye-Goztepe-Atasehir 
metro lines, which were built 2 years ago. Today we are restarting the construction of "Kaynarca-Pendik-Tuzla Metro Line" Project that was started in April 2017 and halted in October 2018 because progress payments cannot be made. Physical construction is currently only two per thousand in this project. We can say that we will start the construction from scratch, so to speak”.

COST OF THE HALTED PROJECT IS 730 MILLION LIRAS

Mayor Imamoglu stated that the estimated cost of Kaynarca-Pendik-Tuzla Metro Line was 1 billion 613 million liras in 2017, and the updated tender price for 2020 exceeded 2 billion 340 million liras. If it were finished, we would not have faced the price difference of 730 million liras that we are facing today. That is what I wanted to share with you the financial cost of unplanned and unorganized work for this or that kind of work, or not arranging for future financing with its project capability”.

Expressing that they will start the investment with the 86 million euro loan they obtained from the French Development Agency, Mayor Imamoglu reminded that they found the construction of eight metro lines halted in Istanbul when they came to office in June 2019. The Mayor continued stating that:

“There were serious financial difficulties and technical problems in rail systems. I have companions who spend all their work in this process very devotedly. Our efforts will not be limited to these 8 lines. All Istanbulites know the need of our city for metro lines as much as I do. In this sense, for example the west side of Istanbul is also a neglected part. Beylikduzu and the surroundings of Esenyurt have been neglected in this sense. These regions are one of the most densely populated areas in Istanbul. Current population of only four districts is about 2, 5 million, that is the metro waiting population, is 2.5 million people and Incirli - Beylikduzu Metro Project has been waiting on the shelf for years. We want to take a quick step in this regard”.

“METRO TENDER IS DONE WITHOUT THE PLAN!”

“Unfortunately, Mahmutbey-Esenyurt Metro Line is halted. We intend to combine Incirli- Beylikduzu Metro and Mahmutbey-Esenyurt Metro Lines in that region. What we found interesting is that the tender of Mahmutbey-Esenyurt Line was held but it is never started. But more interesting point is that Mahmutbey-Esenyurt Line has no projects at all”. Mayor İmamoğlu emphasized that such mistakes made in the past carried out in a hurry to give some political messages. Mayor Imamoglu added that:

“It is a high cost line like Mahmutbey-Esenyurt Line. When we think that, the next process will take 3 to 4 years despite all the technological developments, the time that Istanbul lost since the tenders held in 2017 accumulated with the time after the organisation of the process regularly about its construction it takes up to 7 to 7, 5 years in total. This is actually a result of fatal mistakes made about the planning of the process. ”

MECIDIYEKOY-MAHMUTBEY METRO LINE IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS

Mayor of IMM Ekrem Imamoglu stated that despite the advancement of technology, metro investments that require meticulousness and technical foundation take time. Mayor Imamoglu said, “I hope that a few months later we are going to recommission Mecidiyekoy-Mahmutbey Metro Line by overcoming some of the deficiencies and carry out some revision works together with these neat and planned works and we believe that it is going to be a huge relieve for the city. This line is a very valuable line. This line, will carry over 400 thousand people in a day and we already predict that this line will also ease the congestion in Metrobus. Another important line is Eminonu-Alibeykoy Tram Line, which has been occupying the historical area in that region for years on the shore of the Golden Horn, which has also turned into a kind of visual pollution. We will complete this line very quickly. I hope that we are going to recommission this line this year. With all these investments, the share of the rail system in Istanbul in public transportation will reach up to % 30 from % 20.5”.

NIGHT METRO ATTRACTED GREAT ATTENTION

Noting that they started the Night Metro service and as a response to high demand from the citizens because Istanbul is a city that is vibrant for 24 hours. Mayor Imamoglu said, “This is a service which we thought make loss but we should do anyway, has turned into a profitable section in a city that lives 24 hours”.

INTERNET WILL BE USABLE IN METRO

Mayor Imamoglu pointed out that they will undergo a very strict inspection of subway constructions for occupational safety and that they are working to analyse air pollution in rail systems. We are also working on internet, Wi-Fi and other services in order to ensure sustainable communication in metro lines. We will definitely share the developments with you”.

TECHNICAL DETAILS OF THE PROJECT:

Two independent metro lines will be constructed in “Kaynarca-Pendik-Tuzla Metro” with eight stations and stretching up to 12 kilometres. 

First Line is "Tavsantepe-Tuzla Line" which is 7.7 km long and contained of six stations. This metro line is going to be the continuation of Kadikoy-Tavsantepe Metro Line.
Second Line is “Pendik Merkez-Kaynarca” Line that is 4, 1 km long and contained of two stations. This line is going to be the continuation of Tavsantepe-Sabiha Gokcen Airport Metro Line that will be connected to the Hospital Station.

Some of the trains departing from Kadikoy Station will go to Tuzla Icmeler Station and some will go to Sabiha Gokcen Airport Station. Some of the trains to depart from Sabiha Gokcen Airport will go to Kadikoy Station and some to Pendik Marmaray Station.”

Six tunnels of “Kaynarca-Pendik-Tuzla Metro Line” will be excavated with the tunnel-boring machine (TBM). Ticket halls will be constructed on cut-cover method. The platform and ticket hall of the other two stations will be constructed with the cut-cover basis method.

I would also like to provide information on the integration system of Kaynarca-Pendik-Tuzla Metro so that the importance of the line is better understood. Both of these two metro lines to be built here will be integrated at Kaynarca Station under the ground.

In addition, integration will be provided at Marmaray Line with Icmeler, Pendik and Ayrilik Cesmesi stations, Dudullu-Bostancı Metro Line which is still under construction, Kozyatagi Station, Umraniye-Atasehir-Goztepe Metro Line that is still under construction and Yenisahra Station. People of Istanbul will have a fast and comfortable access to many points of the city with a rail system from Tuzla, Pendik and Sabiha Gokcen Airport.

JOURNEY TIMES

- Tuzla-Tavsantepe 11 Mins.
- Tuzla-Kadikoy 51 Mins.
- Tuzla-Yenikapi 65 Mins.
- Tuzla-Umraniye 51 Mins.
- Pendik Merkez-Kaynarca 3 Mins.
- Pendik Merkez-Sabiha Gokcen Airport 15 Mins.
- Pendik Merkez-Sultanbeyli 35 Mins.

Video of Bulletin: https://we.tl/t-paHhQQ7Vu1 

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