Istanbul needs 600 more kilometers of metro, a $30 billion undertaking

Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu says Istanbul needs another 600 kilometers of metro lines to reach a 1,000-kilometer network, an expansion that could cost about $30 billion based on municipal estimates.

Istanbul needs an additional 600 kilometers of metro lines to bring its network to 1,000 kilometers, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said. At roughly $50 million per kilometer, a figure previously cited by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), the expansion could cost around $30 billion.

Istanbul urban rail network map

The city of 15.8 million was the world’s third most congested in 2025, with average congestion of 62% and drivers losing 112 hours a year in rush-hour traffic. Istanbul currently has 402.6 kilometers of urban rail, 245.8 kilometers of which are run by IBB’s Metro Istanbul, which aims to expand the overall network to 717.1 kilometers by 2050.

Altunizade-Camlica Mosque-Bosna Boulevard metro line and its Umraniye extension

The next major line due to open is the driverless 13-kilometer M12 Umraniye-Atasehir-Goztepe line on the Asian side, targeted for passenger service by December. Other projects include the M13 Sogutlucesme-Yenidogan line, the Kaynarca-Pendik-Tuzla metro, due to partly open in early 2027, and extensions of the M7 and M1B lines on the European side.

The INRAIL railway route

The ministry is also building the Altunizade-Camlica Mosque-Bosna Boulevard line and advancing INRAIL, a 127-kilometer, $8.3 billion railway that will cross the Bosphorus via the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge; tenders for its construction and electrification are open until Oct. 14.