Istanbul Metro

Istanbul Metro
Two trains waiting at Boğaziçi Üniversitesi on the M6 line
Overview
Native name	İstanbul Metrosu
Owner	Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (Selected stations on the M3 and M4 line and M11 line only)
Locale	Istanbul, Turkey
Transit type	Rapid transit
Number of lines	11 (4 more under construction)
Number of stations	159;[1] 36 under construction 1 reserved 20 on hold
Daily ridership	1.36 million
Annual ridership	612.912 million (2023) without L11[2]
Website	Metro Istanbul (in English)
Operation
Began operation	3 September 1989; 35 years ago (1989-09-03)
Operator(s)	TCDD Taşımacılık (M11 line only)
Number of vehicles	727[1]
Technical
System length	243.3 km (151.2 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	750 V DC overhead line (M1/M5) 750 V DC third rail (M2/M6) 1,500 V DC overhead line (all other lines)
System map

The Istanbul Metro (Turkish: İstanbul metrosu) is a rapid transit railway network that serves the city of Istanbul, Turkey. Apart from the M11 line, which is operated by TCDD Taşımacılık, the system is operated by Metro Istanbul, a public enterprise controlled by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The oldest section of the metro is the M1 line, which opened on 3 September, 1989. As of 2024, the system now includes 159 stations in service,^[1] with 36 more under construction. With 243.3 kilometers, Istanbul has the 21st longest metro line in the world and the 4th longest in Europe as of 2024.^[4]

The system consists of eleven lines: the lines designated M1A, M1B, M2, M3, M6, M7, M9 and M11 are on the European side of the Bosporus, while lines M4, M5 and M8 are on the Asian side. Due to Istanbul's unique geography and the depth of the Bosporus strait which divides the city, the European and Asian metro networks do not connect directly. The two parts of the city are linked through the Marmaray commuter rail line, which is connected to the metro in several places. Four metro lines are under construction on the Asian side: M10 (Pendik Merkez–Fevzi Çakmak), M12 (60. Yıl Parkı–Kazım Karabekir), M13 (Emek–Yenidoğan) and M14 (Altunizade–Bosna Bulvarı). Additionally, extension works on the M7 and M11 lines (on the European side) and the M4 and M5 lines (on the Asian side) are underway.

In addition to the Marmaray commuter rail, the metro connects to the F1, Tünel (F2), F3 and F4 funicular lines and with the network of the Istanbul Tram,^[5] Metrobüs and the cable cars.