Türkiye is preparing for one of the biggest rail investments in its history: a project in Istanbul designed as a strategic infrastructure plan to reduce freight traffic in the country’s most populous city and strengthen east–west trade routes.
The USD 8.1 billion project involves a 125-kilometre freight rail line linking Çayırova on Istanbul’s Asian side to Çatalca on the European side, crossing the Bosphorus via the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, which was built with a dedicated rail crossing. The plan is designed to meet modern infrastructure standards while reducing environmental impact, and will be co-financed by major international institutions including the World Bank.
