On March 31, 2026, Turkey signed a €1.67 billion financing agreement with the World Bank for the Istanbul Northern Rail Line (INRAIL) project. The new 125-kilometer-long line will provide an alternative to existing routes across the Bosphorus and strengthen the country’s role as an international logistics hub. The line is expected to significantly relieve congestion in the metropolis’s existing transportation system and improve the sustainability of regional logistics.
The route will run along the strategic northern corridor, connecting key points of the metropolitan area: Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, and Istanbul Airport. This will provide direct and rapid connections between the region’s industrial zones, air hubs, and logistics centers, creating a new hub for freight and passenger flows in the north of the city.
The project includes the construction of 44 tunnels with a total length of 59.1 km and 42 bridges with a total length of 22.4 km – approximately half of the route will be underground. The line’s capacity is estimated at 33 million passengers and up to 30 million tons of freight per year. Total external financing, coordinated by the World Bank, could reach $6.75 billion, underscoring the project’s international significance for trade and transport connectivity in the region.