President Erdoğan Inaugurates the Oldest Railway Line Modernization Project in the Historical Area of ​​Istanbul

President Erdogan while trying out the newly inaugurated train service. (Source: Presidency of The Republic of Turkey)

JAKARTA - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inaugurated the modernization project of one of Turkey's oldest train lines, part of a program to increase comfort and expand the country's transportation network.

The train service connecting Sirkeci - Kazlıçeşme follows a modernized 8.3 kilometer (5.16 mi) route, has eight stops, features artistic structures in one of Istanbul's historic areas, with a total travel time of around 20 minutes.

During the inauguration last February, President Erdogan traveled by commuter train which departed from the Sirkeci area in Eminönü, Fatih District which is close to the Kazlıçeşme area in Zeytinburnu District.

"Kazlıçeşme-Sirkeci is one of the oldest railway systems in our country. This line, which started operating 153 years ago, has made a significant contribution to the growth of Bakırköy and Yeşilköy," said President Erdogan, quoted by Daily Sabah, April 5.

The line was closed in 2013 as part of the construction of Marmaray, a subway line connecting the Asian and European sides of Istanbul via an underwater tunnel.

President Erdogan testing the newly inaugurated train service. (Source: Presidency of The Republic of Turkiye)

"Considering Istanbul's needs, we decided to modernize this 8.3-kilometer line, which has been idle. We aim to make the necessary repairs and changes to the line and bring benefits to Istanbul," he explained.

With the reopening of this line, Istanbul will have a total rail system network length of up to 340 kilometers.

"We estimate that the Sirkeci-Kazlıçeşme rail system will contribute a total of 785 million euros to the economy over the next 30 years," he explained.

Quoting the Presidency of the Republic of Turkiye, the total length of the rail system lines is expected to reach 650 kilometers within the next five years, with a long-term target of reaching 1,004 kilometers.

Meanwhile, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said that the line has been one of the backbones of Istanbul's transportation for more than 141 years.

Minister Uraloğlu stated that they revitalized the line from the beginning, reintroducing it to Istanbul with an environmentally friendly project that focuses on rail and pedestrian aspects.