Istanbul North Rail Crossing Project receives 25 bids

ANKARA

Türkiye has received 25 bids for the design and construction of the infrastructure and superstructure of the Istanbul North Rail Crossing Project, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said.

“Domestic and foreign companies showed interest in the tender. A total of 25 bids were submitted, including bids from four foreign companies from China and Italy, alongside Turkish firms,” he said in a written statement.

Uraloğlu also said agreements had been reached with six international financial institutions to provide a total of $6.75 billion in financing for the project.

The project will cover a route connecting Gebze, Sabiha Gökçen Airport, the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, Istanbul Airport and Çatalca. Uraloğlu said it would be Türkiye’s largest railway project financed through external funding.

The tender covers the construction of a 125-kilometer double-track railway, including 42 bridges and viaducts with a combined length of 22.4 kilometers and 44 tunnels totaling 59.1 kilometers.

Uraloğlu said the project would provide a new transportation option for passengers and strengthen Istanbul’s railway network. Once completed, the line is expected to carry 33 million passengers and 30 million metric tons of freight annually.

The minister said the new railway would also have strategic importance for freight transportation between Asia and Europe. Its capacity to support round-the-clock railway operations is expected to reduce freight pressure on the Marmaray line.

“The line will increase the freight capacity of the Middle Corridor and further strengthen Türkiye’s position in the international logistics network,” Uraloğlu said.