Marmaray Competitors

Kocaeli Büyükşehir Belediyesi / Municipality Of KOCAELI

Metro Istanbul was established as an affiliate company by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in 1988 to operate railway system network in Istanbul. Metro Istanbul continues to operate existing tram, metro, light rail, funicular and aerial cable car lines as an affiliate company of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Metro Istanbul has a vision of becoming an exemplary brand in the world. Length of urban rail system network in Istanbul is 297,22 km and Metro Istanbul operates 207,72 km of this network and metro Istanbul render services to nearly 3 million passengers every day with its 18 urban rail system lines within this network. With the acceleration of rail system investments and the commissioning of new lines, service network of Metro Istanbul is constantly growing. Metro Istanbul is constantly improving its service quality with a passenger-oriented understanding. Metro Istanbul provides excellent, fast and effective transportation services, constantly develops transportation technologies, and continuously invests in R&D and human resources whilst continuing its activities with the aim of carrying Istanbul to the future. Metro Istanbul also carries out maintenance and repair works of the railways system vehicles, stations, facilities, line infrastructure, electrical and electronic systems under its management. In addition to its operational, maintenance and repair services, Metro Istanbul also renders engineering and consultancy services for Istanbul’s future metro projects along with the public transportation projects at home and abroad.

Public transportation in the city of Istanbul officially started August 30, 1869, with the agreement relating to "The Tramway in Dersaadet and Its Facilities". The operation of the first horse drawn tram started in 4 lines in 1871. In the same year, the construction of the Tünel, a short funicular between Pera and Galata, started. The funicular opened to service on December 5, 1874, the second oldest subway in the world after the London underground; today it is still in service. Shift to electricity tram took place on February 2, 1914 and starting from June 8, 1928, tram operation was effective on the Anatolian side. The tram, Tünel, bus and electricity establishments, which had been operated by various foreign companies, were nationalized in 1939 and gained their current status under the name of the Directorate General of IETT Establishments. In 1945, Yedikule and Kurbağalıdere gas plants and the Istanbul and Anadolu gas distribution systems fed by these plants were taken over. As a result of the amendment in the TEK (Turkish Establishment of Electricity) law No: 2705, dated September 9, 1982, all electricity services, along with their rights and responsibilities, were granted to TEKB. In June 1993, in compliance with the orders of the Metropolitan Municipality, town gas production and distribution activities were terminated. Today İETT provides only public transportation with buses, BRT (Metrobüs) and Tunnel Operations and also responsible for management and inspection of Private Bus Transit Services.