A new metro line linking central Istanbul to the city’s new international airport officially opened to the public on Sunday. The service will be provided by driverless trains made in China, capable of traveling up to 120 km/h.
“With a capacity of 800,000 passengers per day, this metro line will allow travel between Kagithane station and Istanbul airport in 24 minutes,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced at the opening ceremony. .
The fully automated trains were built by Chinese company CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive (CRRC ZELC), which signed a contract with Turkey’s General Directorate of Infrastructure Investments in January 2020.
34 km long, this metro line has the fastest trains in Turkey. It is also the first 120 km/h automated metro built by China for the overseas market, according to CRRC ZELC.
Faruk Bostanci, director of administrative affairs at CRRC ZELC Turkey, said new trains will be gradually added to the line to “enhance train frequency and provide a faster and more convenient transportation network for residents of ‘İstanbul’.
Yalcin Eyigun, director general of the General Directorate of Infrastructure Investments of the Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, praised his Chinese partner for carrying out this project despite the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the past decade, CRRC ZELC company has supplied more than 400 metro vehicles to Turkey. These vehicles operate in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, the country’s three largest cities.
Zhou Qinghe, chairman of the board of CRRC ZELC, said his company is willing to strengthen cooperation with Turkey.