The Media Line: Turkey Opens Final Section of Country’s Fastest Metro Line  

Turkey Opens Final Section of Country’s Fastest Metro Line  

By The Media Line Staff  

Turkey completed the final section of the Gayrettepe-Istanbul Airport-Halkalı Metro Line on Friday, bringing the 69-kilometer route into full operation and establishing what officials described as the country’s longest and fastest metro line.  

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan inaugurated the 22-kilometer Halkalı-Arnavutköy section, the final phase of the project, during a ceremony in Istanbul. The opening completed the fully underground route linking Gayrettepe, Istanbul Airport, and Halkalı.  

The metro line now extends 69 kilometers and includes 16 stations. Operating at speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour, it is Turkey’s fastest metro route and among the world’s longest underground airport rail connections.  

“We are weaving our city, one of the world’s largest metropolises, with a population of 16 million and nearly 20 million annual visitors, stitch by stitch with a network of railways,” Erdoğan said at the inauguration ceremony.  

The newly opened section includes five stations: Ibn Haldun University, Kayaşehir, Olimpiyatköy, Halkalı Stadium, and Halkalı. Officials said approximately 1.5 million residents of the Başakşehir and Küçükçekmece districts will gain direct rail access to Istanbul Airport and the city center.  

The system uses driverless technology and incorporates the COBALT signaling platform, developed domestically by ASELSAN. Of the 25 train sets deployed on the route, 15 were manufactured to fully autonomous standards by CRRC.  

The government estimates the line will generate economic benefits of 935 million euros by 2043, while reduced congestion is expected to save travelers approximately 117 million hours.  

The project was opened in stages. The Kağıthane-Istanbul Airport section entered service in January 2023, followed by the Kağıthane-Gayrettepe segment in January 2024 and the Arnavutköy-Istanbul Airport section in March 2024.  

Travel times on the completed route are expected to be significantly reduced. Journeys between Halkalı and Istanbul Airport are projected to take about 30 minutes, while travel between Gayrettepe and the airport is expected to take approximately 35 minutes. Trips between Halkalı and Gayrettepe are estimated at 57 minutes.  

The line connects with multiple transportation networks, including Marmaray commuter rail services, high-speed rail lines, and several metro routes.