World · Middle East · 1 hr ago
Istanbul North Rail project receives 25 bids
Türkiye has received 25 bids to build the Istanbul North Rail Crossing Project.
The railway will link Gebze, Sabiha Gökçen Airport, the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, Istanbul Airport and Çatalca.
The tender covers a 125-kilometer double-track line with 42 bridges and viaducts and 44 tunnels.
Six international financial institutions have agreed to provide $6.75 billion in financing.
Once completed, the line is expected to carry 33 million passengers and 30 million metric tons of freight each year.
It is also intended to strengthen freight links between Asia and Europe and reduce pressure on the Marmaray line.
The project is described as Türkiye’s largest railway project financed through external funding, and the next step is to move forward from the tender process.
Türkiye received 25 bids for the design and construction of the Istanbul North Rail Crossing Project.
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said the bids included submissions from four foreign companies from China and Italy, as well as Turkish firms.
Six international financial institutions have agreed to provide a total of $6.75 billion in financing for the project.
The planned 125-kilometer double-track railway will connect Gebze, Sabiha Gökçen Airport, the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, Istanbul Airport and Çatalca.
When completed, the line is expected to carry 33 million passengers and 30 million metric tons of freight annually.
- Who
- Türkiye received the bids; Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced them.
- What
- The project received 25 bids for the design and construction of its railway infrastructure and superstructure.
- When
- The announcement was published on Nov. 13, 2026. The bid submission date is not stated.
- Where
- The planned route connects Gebze, Sabiha Gökçen Airport, the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, Istanbul Airport and Çatalca.
- Why
- The project is intended to add passenger transport capacity, strengthen Istanbul’s railway network and support freight transport between Asia and Europe.
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- Bids received
- 25
- Foreign companies
- Four, from China and Italy
- Financing
- $6.75 billion from six international financial institutions
- Railway route length
- 125 kilometers
- Expected annual passenger capacity
- 33 million passengers
- Expected annual freight capacity
- 30 million metric tons
What people are saying
Domestic and foreign companies showed interest in the tender. A total of 25 bids were submitted, including bids from four foreign companies from China and Italy, alongside Turkish firms.
The line will increase the freight capacity of the Middle Corridor and further strengthen Türkiye’s position in the international logistics network.