Business · Companies · 3 hrs ago
Istanbul’s Marmaray rail line has carried 1.6 billion passengers
Istanbul’s Marmaray rail line has carried 1.6 billion passengers since it began service in 2013, according to Turkey’s transport minister.
The line runs beneath the sea and connects the Asian and European sides of Istanbul.
Its 76.6-kilometer route has 43 stations between Halkalı and Gebze, and it links with the city’s other transport systems.
The undersea tunnel reaches 60 meters below sea level, and the rail crossing takes four minutes.
Nearly 181 million passengers used Marmaray in the first 10 months of 2026.
On Oct.
6, daily ridership reached a record 762,870 passengers.
The line operates daily services across its routes, with extra late-night trips on weekends.
Istanbul’s Marmaray rail line has carried a total of 1.6 billion passengers since entering service in 2013, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said.
The undersea line links Istanbul’s Asian and European sides and reduces travel time between them to four minutes.
Nearly 181 million passengers used Marmaray in the first 10 months of 2026.
The line set a daily ridership record of 762,870 passengers on Oct. 6.
- Who
- Marmaray and its passengers. Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu reported the total.
- What
- The line has served 1.6 billion passengers since it began operating.
- When
- Since Oct. 29, 2013; the total was reported on the line’s 13th anniversary.
- Where
- Istanbul, Türkiye, linking the city’s Asian and European sides.
- Why
- Not stated
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Foundations for the Marmaray project were laid.
Marmaray entered service.
The line carried a record 762,870 passengers in one day.
The line marked its 13th anniversary, with a reported total of 1.6 billion passengers.
- Total passengers
- 1.6 billion
- Service began
- Oct. 29, 2013
- Daily ridership record
- 762,870 passengers on Oct. 6, 2026
- Route
- 76.6 kilometers between Halkalı and Gebze
- Stations
- 43