New metro line in İstanbul opened

A new metro line connecting the main bus terminal in Esenler to Olimpiyatköy was opened on Friday. The new line is 21.7 kilometers long and has 16 stops. With this new line, which is capable of carrying 111,000 people per hour, traveling from the Esenler to Olimpiyatköy takes 26 minutes.

Although İstanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş did a test-drive on the new line in January 2011 and announced that it would be opened by the end of 2011, the line was completed only in 2013. Construction of the line started in 2006.

The trains will run at five-minute intervals in the new line that connects the Otogar and Başakşehir in 23 minutes.

Each metro stop is painted in different colors, and high-level security measures have been taken. The metro line is equipped with fire detectors and fire extinguishing systems. If the electricity is cut, generators start working in 15 seconds.

When Marmaray and the Golden Horn Metro Bridge are completed, the duration of the trips will be as follows: Otagar-Bağcılar: 10 minutes, Başakşehir-Atatürk Airport: 50 minutes, Başakşehir-Yenikapı: 44 minutes, Olympiad Stadium-Atatürk Airport: 46 minutes, Olympiad Stadium-Üsküdar: 49 minutes.

Adapted from TODAY'S ZAMAN