Prime Minister Erdogan 150 Annual Dream Marmaray first Test Drive

Marmaray is a rail transport project in Istanbul. It consists of the construction of an undersea rail tunnel under the Bosphorus strait as well as the modernization of suburban rail lines along the Sea of Marmara from Halkalı on the European side to Gebze on the Asian side. The procurement of new rolling stock for suburban passenger traffic is also part of the project.[1] Construction started in 2004, with an initial target opening date of April 2009.[1] After multiple delays due to historical finds, the projected opening date was set as October 29, 2013.[2] The name Marmaray (Mar-ma-rai) comes from combining the name of the Sea of Marmara, which lies just south of the project site, with ray, the Turkish word for rail. The construction contract for the project was awarded to a Japanese-Turkish consortium led by Taisei Corporation. The consortium included Kumagai Gumi, Gama Endustri Tesisleri Imalat ve Montaj, Nurol Construction and Trade of Turkey.[3] The project includes a 13.6 kilometres (8.5 mi) Bosphorus crossing, the upgrade of 63 kilometres (39 mi) of suburban train lines to create a 76.3 km high-capacity line between Gebze and Halkalı and the provision of 440 rail cars. The Bosphorus (Istanbul Strait) will be crossed by a 1.4 kilometres (0.87 mi)-long earthquake-proofed immersed tube, assembled from 11 sections, eight are 135 metres (443 ft), two are 98.5 metres (323 ft) and one element is 110 metres (360 ft) long.[4] The elements weigh up to 18,000 tons.[5] The sections will be placed down to 60 metres (197 ft) below sea level: 55 metres (180 ft) of water and 4.6 metres (15 ft) of earth.[5] This underwater tube will be accessed by bored tunnels from Kazlıçeşme on the European side and Ayrılıkçeşme on the Asian side of Istanbul. When completed, it will be the world's deepest undersea immersed tube tunnel. Fire-resistant concrete developed in Norway was crucial for the safety of the project.[6] New underground stations will be built at Yenikapı, Sirkeci, and Üsküdar.[7] 37 other above-ground stations along the line will be rebuilt or refurbished.[7][8] The station at Yenikapi will connect with Istanbul Metro and Istanbul LRT.[9] The above-ground suburban lines will be upgraded to three tracks, two for commuter and one for long-distance/high-speed passenger trains (bi-directional). The tunnel section allows for two, bi-directional tracks to be used by commuter and long-distance trains. During off-peak hours, freight trains may also cross the tunnel. The capacity for the suburban lines is planned for 75,000 passengers per hour in each direction.[1] Signaling must also be modernized to allow trains to be as close as two minutes apart.[10] The predicted travel time from Gebze to Halkalı is 104 minutes.[7] Construction of the Marmaray project started in May 2004. The Marmaray tunnel was completed on the 23rd of September 2008,[11] with a formal ceremony to mark completion of the tunnel on October 13.[1] Completion of the entire project has been repeatedly delayed, and as of December 2009, was expected to occur in October 2013.[12] By 29 October, the first stage of Marmaray project will end which covers the underground connection between Europe and Asia. Passengers will be able to travel between Yenikapı and İbrahimağa.[13] The second stage is the renewal of current railway on ground, between Gebze and İbrahimağa on Asian side and between Yenikapı and Halkalı on European side. A third line will added which will provide the metro and trains will move separately. After completion, the usage of rail transportation in Istanbul is predicted to rise from 3.6% to 27.7%.[8] In February 2010, Railway Gazette International reported that the tunnel's administrators were hiring consultants to analyse options for carrying freight traffic.[14]