ANKARA - Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim said on Thursday that construction of Istanbul Strait Rail Tube Crossing Project would start in 2004 and the rail tube crossing was planned to become operational in 2008.
Yildirim held a press conference in which he said that the project known as ''Marmaray'' was comprised of phases like rail tube crossing on the strait and rehabilitation of Gebze-Haydarpasa and Sirkeci-Halkali suburban railway.
Asia and Europe would be linked with each other with the rail tube crossing to be built underwater on the Istanbul Strait, Yildirim stated.
Yildirim said, ''the subway will start in Yedikule, continue with Yenikapi and Sirkeci underwater stations, cross the strait and be connected to Uskudar underwater station. Then, it will be on the ground in Sogutlucesme. Two intermediary stations will be built in Sirkeci and Uskudar and a total of four underwater stations will be constructed in Yedikule, Yenikapi, Sirkeci and Uskudar. This railway will be 13.5 kilometers in length. The tube construction will be completed rapidly by use of advanced technologies and equipment.''
''The suburban railway between Gebze to Sogutlucesme and between Yedikule and Halkali will be rehabilitated. The length of these railways is 63 kilometers and the current two lines will be increased to three. Integration to Istanbul subway system, inter-city trains, and Yenikapi-Ataturk Airport railway system and passenger transfer choices will be provided with the project,'' Yildirim noted.
Yildirim added, ''with Marmaray, Halkali on European side of Istanbul will be linked with Gebze in Anatolian side uninterruptedly with a modern and high capacity suburban railway system. The Istanbul Strait Rail Tube Crossing Project and Marmaray will have a capacity to carry 150 thousand passengers an hour in two directions with trains to start service in two minutes of intervals. The project will reduce traffic on the bridges and shorten time of transportation.''
Some examinations were made on the North Anatolia fault line since Istanbul was on that line, Yildirim noted.
Yildirim stated that it was seen in those examinations that such underwater tube crossing projects were very safe during earthquakes and their quake-resistance was proved.
The bids for the tender would be accepted in October, Yildirim pointed out.
Yildirim said that after evaluation of bids, construction of the project would start in mid-2004.
Kajima-Nijimatsu-Mitsubishi-Dogus consortium, Hazama-Penta Ocean-Yuksel Insaat Consortium-Taisei Corporation-Kumagahi-Gama-Nural consortium and Oboyashi company would join the tender, Yildirim noted.
Yildirim stated that the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) would finance the strait crossing part of the project and talks were under way with the European Investment Bank regarding the project for rehabilitation of suburban railway.
The project would cost almost 2.5 billion U.S. dollars, Yildirim said, adding that internal sources were not foreseen to be used for the project.
(BRC-AÖ) 19.06.2003