Türkiye has started an environmental impact assessment for the so-called “Northern Railway Crossing” (INRAIL). The future rail line should bypass the urban core of Istanbul, while connecting the city’s two airports and its European and Asian sides.
A report on the railway plan highlights the Istanbul region as a major bottleneck for Middle Corridor rail traffic, which Türkiye hopes to use to strengthen its position as an international transport hub.
“With improved rail capacity at both ends of the Middle Corridor, the Bosphorus crossing in Istanbul is the next major bottleneck”, the report explains. “Currently, rail traffic can only pass through the Marmaray tunnel, while freight trains are restricted to a limited nighttime slot, severely restricting capacity and maintenance time. These limitations impact both operational capacity and long-term sustainability.”
“The only alternative to the Marmaray tunnel for freight transport is an inefficient and costly rail-truck transfer across the Bosphorus, reducing Istanbul’s logistics efficiency and making the Middle Corridor’s Turkey route less competitive than the Black Sea alternative”, the report concludes.
Air-to-rail freight
Ankara hopes to change that with the INRAIL project. It will be a costly railway, valued at 8,1 billion US dollars. With a total length of nearly 100 kilometres, it features 22 kilometres of bridges and viaducts and around 60 kilometres of tunnels. The maximum speed for freight trains is planned to be 120 kilometres per hour. INRAIL will link up to Istanbul’s two major airports: Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen Airport, which will allow for air-to-rail freight transfers.
The Turkish transport minister stated that the country hopes to launch tenders for the projects before the end of 2025. The project should be completed by 2030.