(Turkey )ISTANBUL-M1

Images kindly supplied by Istanbul Ulasim Company. (Thanks)
Ground level section	Tunnel section	Depot

Istanbul
The first tramway line was opened in Istanbul in 1869; this horse tram electrified in 1914. Like in other towns tram was dismantled after the second world war (in 1961 in the european part of Istanbul, in 1966 in the asiatic one) in favour of a bus network.
Parts of the old tram have been recently re-opened: in 1990 in the european zone (1.6 km from Taksim and Tunel), in 2003 in the asiatic zone.
Contermporaneous to the old tram is the so-called Tunel (above mentioned) an underground cable system (570 m long) opened in 1875 and still working (it was the second metro system in the world, after London); another modern underground cable system (600 m long) was opened in 2006 from Kabata Hizli Tramway stop to Taksim metro stop.
In 1989 an LRT line started its service from Aksaray to Kartaltepe (M1); the so-called Hafif Metro system is totally segregated from road traffic and it has been constantly extended up to Ataturk Airport (2002). A second Hafif Metro line (T4, from Edirnekapi to Mescid-i Selam) opened in 2007 followed by its southern extension towards Topkapi on March 2009. So that the whole Hafif Metro system reached the current lenght of 34 km with a remarkable growth of the ridership.
A modern tram line (Hizli Tramway or T1) is in service since 1992; the first stretch from Sirkeci to Topkapi has been extended in 1993 (Topkapi-Zeytinburnu), 1996 (Sirkeci-Eminonu) and 2005 (Sirkeci-Kabatas). Hizli Tramway is currently 14 km long, with 24 stops. A second tram line (T2) from Zeytinburnu to Bagcilar (about 5 km long) opened in 2006.
A traditional metro line (M2) opened in 2000 from Taksim to 4th Levent (8.5 km, 6 stops). 4 Levent - Ataturk Oto Sanayi (5.5 km, 3 stops) and Taksim - Sishane (1.6 km, 1 stop) extensions opened on 30 January 2009, followed by Sanayi-Seyrantepe section (1 km) on 11 November 2010; another extension (Darussafaka-Haciosman) opened on 23 May 2011. The current ridership is 130.000 pax/day.
A modern bus system in reserved lanes placed in the middle of E5 motorway opened in 2007, for the direct connection of Ataturk International Airport to the city center (Topkapi); some innovative APTS Phileas tram-on-tyres have been introduced since the beginning of 2008. APTS vehicles suffered many technical problems caused by the high ridership and the morphology of the track.
Suburban railways also have an important role; the line from Sirkeci railway station to Alkali (in european territory) will be in the next future connected to the Haydarpasa-Gebze line (in asiatic territory), thanks to the so-called Marmaray, an undersea rail tunnel across the Bosphorus Strait. Metro and Hafif Metro extensions up to Yenikapi (where suburban railway stops) are going to increase the interchange potentialities of the whole transport system.
Istanbul-Ulasim (official site)

CHRONOLOGY
03-09-1989	Aksaray-Kartaltepe
18-12-1989	Kartaltepe-Esenler
07-03-1994	Zeytinburnu-Bakirkoy
25-08-1995	Bakirkoy-Yenibosna
15-01-1999	Bahcelievler stop
20-12-2002	Yenibosna-Havaalani

Country	Turkey
Line	M1 (Hafif Metro)
Inhabitants	City 2.800.000, District 7.900.000
Date opening	1989
Future development:	under costruction: Aksaray-Yenikapi (0.7 km), Esenler-Bagcilar (5 km)
Length (km)	19.6
Track sections	totally segregated from road traffic (5 km underground)
Stops	18, average distance 1100 m
Platforms	side and central
Platform doors	no
general characteristics	--
n. of vehicles	(single cars) 80
n. of cars per vehicle	2
Type	steel wheels mono-directional
Vehicle dimensions (m)	(each car) length 23.2, width 2.65
Vehicle capacity (pax)	257 (32 seated)
Frequency	5'/15'
Current/Voltage	750 V DC overhead
Guide/gauge	standard gauge rails (1435 mm)
Speed Km/h	Comm 40, Max 80
Accel./Decel. (m/sec2)	0.7/1.1
System capacity	22.000 pphpd
Ridership	320.000 pax/day
Total cost	22 M$/km
Staff	--
System builder	SIEMENS
Model	--
NOTE	ABB system (now Siemens);max vertical gradient 6% cost and ridership referred to the whole Hafif Metro system (M1+T4)