M2 (Istanbul Metro)

History

Construction for a north–south metro line started on 19 August 1992 when the groundbreaking of the M2 took place. The original route was a wholly underground 7 km line between Taksim and 4. Levent. Construction of the tunnels took place in three separate areas; Taksim, Şişli and 4. Levent. These tunnels were connected to each other on 8 July 1994 and were completed on 30 April 1995. The line was completed in early 11 January 1999 and the first rolling stock were lowered into the tunnels. On 25 March 1999 the first test runs began and the line entered service on 16 September 2000 between Taksim and Levent. "4. Levent" was opened one month later on 24 October 2000.

On 15 October 2021, it was announced that İBB's free Wi-Fi service had started on rolling stock serving on the line. In addition, 384 USB charging ports were installed in 192 trains serving on the line.

Timeline

The following are events in the timeline of the M2 service:

• 19 August 1992: Construction of the M2 begins.
• 12 June 1994: Taksim - Şişli part is completed.
• 8 July 1994: Şişli - 4.Levent part is completed.
• 30 April 1995: The two tunnels are connected.
• 11 January 1999: The first trainsets are used for test runs.
• 16 September 2000: Taksim - 4.Levent portion is opened.
• 31 January 2009: Taksim - Şişhane and 4.Levent - Atatürk Oto Sanayi extensions are opened.
• 2 September 2010: A northern extension to Darüşşafaka is opened.
• 11 November 2010: The branch to Seyrantepe is opened.
• 29 April 2011: The northern extension to Hacıosman is opened.
• 15 February 2014: With the completion of the Golden Horn Metro Bridge, M2 line is fully in service from Yenikapı to Hacıosman.

Route

The M2 starts at Hacıosman in southwestern Sarıyer. From there it travels under Büyükdere Avenue, a major north–south road in the city, through İstanbul's two major financial districts; Maslak and Levent. The line then heads slightly west just south of Levent through Şişli to historical Taksim Square. From there M2 heads through western Beyoğlu to Şişhane. It crosses the Golden Horn towards the Old City and terminates in Yenikapı, a transport hub connecting with M1 line and Marmaray. (The Şehzadebaşı station on the map above was actually named Vezneciler when the extension south of Şişhane opened on 15 February 2014).

Stations

M2 Line

M2 Branch Line

(While it was planned to be only a warehouse and operation center in Seyrantepe during the initial construction, it was built as a station to serve both the region and Rams Park. Due to the limited area of the scissors zone, transactions can only be made up to the Sanayi. It is planned to make arrangements for uninterrupted work between Seyrantepe and Yenikapı on match days.)

Rolling stock

The M2 line in İstanbul uses both Hyundai Rotem (from 2009 and 2018) and Alstom (this was what was used when the line was opened; though they largely got handed over to M6 when that line got opened, these trains still get used at night and during rush hours.) trains which operate with headways of 5 minutes on the line. The Alstom trains used on this line are derived in design from the S1 through S5 + S8 series used in Caracas Metro, though they have differences in internal furniture; because these trains also serve as the basis for the Hyundai Rotem trains, they're also part of the same family, along with the CAF trains used in M4.

Future extension

A future extension southwest of Yenikapı is planned, with five new stations at Kocamustafapaşa, Silivrikapı, Veliefendi, Zeytinburnu and Bakırköy. A northward extension from Hacıosman, with 3 new stations at Çayırbaşı, Büyükdere, and Sarıyer is also planned.

Gallery

|File:Taksim metrosu.jpg|M2 train build by Alstom |File:İstanbul metrosu00020.JPG|Levent station of the M2 and M6 line (old) |File:Interrior of M2 rolling stocks.jpg|Interior of the trains |File:GoldenHornMetroBridge 09.JPG|Golden Horn Metro Bridge |File:Yenikapı station.jpg|M2 train at Yenikapı station |File:Nuevo Circo (Caracas metro).jpg|A Caracas Metro S3 train, from which the design of the trains used in Istanbul's M2, M4 and M6 lines is derived

References

References

1. "M2 Yenikapı-Hacıosman Metro Hattı". Metro Istanbul.
2. "Yıllara Göre Hat Bazlı Aylık Yolcu Sayıları". Metro İstanbul A.Ş..
3. "İBB Metrosuna İnternet Geldi".
4. "IMM's free internet is now available in all metros!".
5. "Metro Istanbul map".
6. "İstanbul Metrosu (Taksim-4. Levent-Ayazağa (Hacı Osman) Hattı)". İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi.
7. (15 February 2014). "Haliç, Yenikapıyı, Hacıosman'a bağladı". [[Hürriyet]].