A Japanese financed project will create Turkey's first rail link between Europe and Asia. The tunnel is to be constructed under the Stait of Bosphorous in Istanbul.
The project centres on an approximately 2 km long immersed tunnel 75m below sea level. At each end of the immersed tunnel, bored tunnels will connect the rail line to Turkey's existing rail network.
The tunnel is expected to complete in approx. 5 years
Details of the Bosphorus Tunnel |
| Client: Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Transportation
|
| Technical Data:
| Total length of railway line:
| 76 km
| - Bored tunnel
| 8.6 km
| - Immersed tunnel:
| 1.8 km
| - Cut and cover section:
| 2.3 km
| Number of stations:
| 37
| Capacity (number of persons per hour per direction):
| 75,000
| Grade:
| max 0.18%
| Max speed:
| 100 km/hour
| Operation speed:
| 45 km/hour
|
| Costs:
| Investment in infrastructure:
| US$ 1.6 billion
| Investment in trains:
| US$ 1.0 billion
|
| Time Schedule:
| Construction start:
| 2003
| Operation start:
| Mid 2007
|
TURKEY's Ministry of Transport & Communications has invited four pre-qualified civil engineering consortia to submit bids by the beginning of October 2006 for the construction of a 13.3km rail tunnel under the Bosphorus to be funded by the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation.
This is part of the so-called $US 2.5 billion Marmaray project to provide the first rail link between the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. It is hoped to start work on the project next year and to complete it in 2008.
The new construction will consist of 1.8km of immersed tunnel, 8.2km of bored tunnels, 1.8km of cut and cover sections, and 1.5km of ramps, plus four underground stations. The tunnel must be able to withstand earthquakes up to a magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter scale. According to Cowi, Denmark, which is advising one of the consortia, the construction of connections between the bored and immersed tunnels under high water pressure and strong currents will be a challenge. The tunnel will have a capacity of 150,000 passengers/h/direction.
The new rail link will run from Yedikule via Yenikapi and Sirkeci on the European side to Uskudar and Sogutlucesme on the Asian side. The rest of the project involves upgrading 63km of existing lines from Sirkeci via Yedikule to Halkali and from Hydarpasa via Sogutlucesme to Gebze as well as stations, depots and maintenance facilities. It is hoped to secure funding from the European Investment Bank for the upgrading project
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