New strategic rail corridor : Istanbul's two airports to be connected by rail

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that a preliminary agreement has been reached with six international financial institutions for a total of $6.75 billion in financing for the Northern Ring Railway Project (Kuzey Çevre Demiryolu Projesi), which will pass over the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge.

The Minister stated that an agreement totaling $6.75 billion had been reached with international financial institutions for the project covering the route Gebze – Sabiha Gökçen Airport – Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge – Istanbul Airport – Halkalı.

A major loan from 6 international financial institutions

Within the scope of the project, a preliminary agreement was reached with the World Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, the OPEC Fund for International Development, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Emphasizing that the strong interest shown by international financial institutions is the clearest indication of confidence in Türkiye’s railway vision, Uraloğlu said: “We have reached a preliminary agreement with six international financial institutions. Under this framework, they will provide a total of $6.75 billion in financing for our project. Thus, the Northern Ring Railway Project, covering the Gebze – Sabiha Gökçen Airport – Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge – Istanbul Airport – Halkalı route, will become Türkiye’s largest externally financed railway project.”

The Minister also noted that preparations for the construction tender are ongoing and added: “We aim to complete the tender process within this year and begin construction works following the site handover.”

The Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge will be the main backbone of the route

Providing details about the route, Uraloğlu stated: “The project will start from the Çayırova section of the Marmaray line, pass through Sabiha Gökçen Airport, the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge and Istanbul Airport, and connect to Çatalca. In Çatalca, the line will be integrated with the Halkalı–Çerkezköy High-Speed Train Line, where construction works are currently progressing rapidly. Thanks to this line, freight and passenger traffic on Marmaray will be eased, and Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen Airport will be directly connected by rail for the first time.”

A strategic 125-kilometer line to be built

Uraloğlu stated that the line will be constructed with a total length of 125 kilometers: “Within the scope of the project, 44 tunnels with a total length of 59.1 kilometers and 42 bridges with a total length of 22.4 kilometers will be built.”

A new era in logistics

Minister Uraloğlu emphasized that the railway line crossing the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge will significantly increase Türkiye’s railway transport capacity between Asia and Europe, stating: “A new era in logistics will begin. Once completed, we expect the line to carry 33 million passengers and 30 million tons of freight annually.”

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Source : BigPara Hürriyet, February 25 2026. Article translated by Advantis Conseils Turquie