HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Istanbul nostalgic tramways are two heritage tramlines in the city of
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
,
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. The city has two completely separate heritage tram systems, one on the European side (the Taksim-Tünel Nostalgia Tramway, aka. T2 line), the other on the Asian side (T3 line, aka. the Kadıköy-Moda Nostalgia Tramway).
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
, the former capital of Turkey, once had a large tramway network on both the Asian and European sides. These started as
horse tram A horsecar, horse-drawn tram, horse-drawn streetcar (U.S.), or horse-drawn railway (historical), is a tram or streetcar pulled by a horse. Summary The horse-drawn tram (horsecar) was an early form of public rail transport, which developed ou ...
s in 1871, but gradually changed to
electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
. Many routes were built step by step, and the network reached its greatest extent in 1956 with 108 million passengers in 270 cars on 56 lines. But as happened in most cities around the world, tram service in Istanbul began to close in 1956, and ended completely in 1966. Trams returned to Istanbul in 1990, with the opening of the Taksim-Tünel Nostalgia Tramway (T2 line). The city is divided between
Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
and
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, and while the Asian side has a heritage tram system (T3 line, which opened in 2003), the European side has both a heritage tram (T2 line) and a modern tram system (T1 and T4 lines, which opened in 1992 and 2007, respectively).


History

After closing the tram network in the mid-1960s, the people of Istanbul thought that transport within the city would move faster than before, but this proved false some years later. The uncontrolled increase of petrol vehicles such as
bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...
es,
taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a Driving, driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of thei ...
s, and private cars started choking the streets of Istanbul.
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
suffered many of the problems of developing countries, including
pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause harm. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the component ...
,
traffic jam Traffic congestion is a condition in transport that is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. Traffic congestion on urban road networks has increased substantially since the 1950s, resulting in m ...
s,
migration Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration * Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another ** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...
, and rapid
population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...
increase. A growing population increased the
urbanization Urbanization (or urbanisation in British English) is the population shift from Rural area, rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. ...
of Istanbul, and with it more
motor vehicles A motor vehicle, also known as a motorized vehicle, automotive vehicle, automobile, or road vehicle, is a self-propelled land vehicle, commonly wheeled, that does not operate on rails (such as trains or trams), does not fly (such as airplanes ...
which increased air and
noise pollution Noise pollution, or sound pollution, is the propagation of noise or sound with potential harmful effects on humans and animals. The source of outdoor noise worldwide is mainly caused by machines, transport and propagation systems.Senate Publi ...
, traffic jams and
smog Smog, or smoke fog, is a type of intense air pollution. The word "smog" was coined in the early 20th century, and is a portmanteau of the words ''smoke'' and ''fog'' to refer to smoky fog due to its opacity, and odour. The word was then inte ...
. From the early 1970s, these problems increased and by the mid-1980s Istanbulians realized that lack of control of motor vehicles and the closure of the tram network were great mistakes. Due to constantly increasing traffic jams and air pollution, Istanbul became one of the most polluted
Eurasia Eurasia ( , ) is a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent. The concept of Europe and Asia as distinct continents d ...
n cities during the mid-1980s. Many cities around the world like
Tunis Tunis (, ') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Tunisia. The greater metropolitan area of Tunis, often referred to as "Grand Tunis", has about 2,700,000 inhabitants. , it is the third-largest city in the Maghreb region (after Casabl ...
,
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
,
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
etc. also understood that error, and like them, Istanbul also planned for the return of trams. Looking at examples in other cities around the world (e.g.
Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...
and
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
), the authorities planned to bring trams back to Istanbul. By then, the number of cars and buses had increased so much that starting a completely new tramway was not possible at that time. Instead they planned an experimental heritage tramway, mindful of the lower installation cost, mainly as tourist attraction, and as a test system to see how trams would be accepted by the younger generations in Istanbul. The original Istanbul tram network was almost completely destroyed, including depots, termini, electric power stations, etc., except for some of the rolling stock which had been preserved in transport museums. The Authority wished to re-introduce heritage trams in Istanbul using the same type of rolling stock which was running in the European part until 1962, and in the Asian part until 1966. Using old photographs, people's memories, and other sources, some rolling stock was built for the European side resembling pre-1962 European-side tram stock, including the size, shape, interior, color scheme etc. The prototypes had originally been built in 1915. Around 1990, the Istiklal Caddesi became a
pedestrian zone Pedestrian zones (also known as auto-free zones and car-free zones, as pedestrian precincts in British English, and as pedestrian malls in the United States and Australia) are areas of a city or town restricted to use by people on foot or ...
, and the tram was restored and revived in 1990, in the form of the Taksim-Tünel Nostalgia Tramway. After a 24-year absence, trams returned to Istanbul. The length of the line is and there are 5 stops. After the Taksim-Tünel Nostalgia Tramway gained in popularity, mainly among tourists, another heritage tramway opened in 2003 on the Asian side of Istanbul, as what is now known as the T3 line (or the Kadıköy-Moda Nostalgia Tramway). In the case of the T3 line, first-generation trams were not re-installed along the route. Instead, secondhand trams from
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
were acquired, mostly from the Jena tram system,Russell, Mike (March 2008). "Heritage tramways across two continents". ''
Tramways & Urban Transit ''Tramways & Urban Transit'' ''(TAUT'' or ''T&UT)'', also known as ''Modern Tramway'', is a British monthly magazine about tramways and light rail transport, published continuously since 1938. Its content is orientated both to tramway enthusi ...
'', pp. 122–123. UK: LRTA Publishing. ISSN 1460-8324.
which were built in the
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
area or in
Gotha Gotha () is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, west of Erfurt and east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine Wettins from 1640 until the ...
(see Rolling stock section, below). Trams on the T3 line run on a clockwise circular loop, following roughly the old tram Route 20. The length of the line is and there are 10 stops.


Timeline

* 1961 – The last tram ran on the European side of Istanbul on 12 January 1961. The Topkapi-Eminönü line was replaced by trolleybuses on 27 May 1961. Six trams were transferred to the tram network on the Asian side. * 1966 – The last tram ran on the Asian side of Istanbul on 3 October 1966, between
Kadıköy Kadıköy () is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district on the Asian side of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 25 km2, and its population is 467,919 (2023). It is a large and populous area in the Asian si ...
and Kızıltoprak. The remaining trams were transferred to the transport museum. * 1984 – Trolleybus service stopped on 16 July 1984. At this time, all electricity-driven city transport in Istanbul completely ended. * 1990 –
İstiklal Caddesi ''İstiklal'' () is a national Turkish daily newspaper published in Istanbul, Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in S ...
(Independence Avenue) was closed to traffic. Trams returned to the European side of Istanbul as a heritage tram line, the Taksim-Tünel Nostalgia Tramway, operating on İstiklal Caddesi between Taksim and
Tünel The Tünel (, designated as the F2 line on the Istanbul transport map) is a historic, underground, rubber-tyred funicular line in Istanbul, Turkey. It has two stations, connecting Karaköy and Beyoğlu. The tunnel runs uphill from near the con ...
. Rolling stocks were same as the pre-1966 trams. * 1992 – Opening of a completely separate tramline: the tram system on the European side of Istanbul was expanded to include a modern tramline, built by
Yapı Merkezi Yapı Merkezi Holding A.Ş. is a group company whose field of activity is primarily in the construction industry. It was founded in 1965 by Ersin Arioglu and Koksal Anadol in Istanbul. As the first and largest company of the Yapı Merkezi Group, ...
. The line, now called the T1 line, operates on the same alignment where trams last ran in 1956. * 2003 – Trams returned to the Asian side of Istanbul as heritage tramway, operating a circular tramway on the part of the old closed Route 20 tramway. The secondhand rolling stock was imported from
Jena Jena (; ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 in ...
and
Schöneiche Schöneiche is a municipality in the Oder-Spree District of Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated directly at the edge to Berlin/ Friedrichshagen and next to Rüdersdorf and Woltersdorf, Brandenburg on the eastern edge of the German capital Berlin ...
, Germany. This line is now known as the T3 tramline (or the Kadıköy-Moda Nostalgia Tramway). * 2007 – Another modern tramline on the European side, named T4, opened, using high-floor light rail vehicles (LRVs). * 2021 - The first catenary free tram line in the city opened between Alibeyköy and Cibali on the European side using modern low-floor trams. The line will be extended to Eminönü where it will meet the T1.


Tram lines

There are two heritage tramways in Istanbul – the European side tramway, Taksim-Tünel Nostalgia Tramway (also sometimes called the T2 line), runs from Taksim to
Tünel The Tünel (, designated as the F2 line on the Istanbul transport map) is a historic, underground, rubber-tyred funicular line in Istanbul, Turkey. It has two stations, connecting Karaköy and Beyoğlu. The tunnel runs uphill from near the con ...
; the Asian side tramway, the T3 line (also called the Kadıköy-Moda Nostalgia Tramway), runs as a clockwise circular route from
Kadıköy Kadıköy () is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district on the Asian side of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 25 km2, and its population is 467,919 (2023). It is a large and populous area in the Asian si ...
to Moda and back to Kadıköy. The European side T2 tramline follows an alignment of Istanbul's previous historic tram network, which was served by Routes 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17. The Asian side T3 tramline uses the previous Route 20 (operating on a portion of that route). A third line between
Üsküdar Üsküdar () is a municipality and district of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 35 km2, and its population is 524,452 (2022). It is a large and densely populated district on the Anatolian (Asian) shore of the Bosphorus. It is border ...
and
Harem A harem is a domestic space that is reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A harem may house a man's wife or wives, their pre-pubescent male children, unmarried daughters, female domestic Domestic worker, servants, and other un ...
is planned.


European side tramline: T2 Line (Taksim-Tünel Nostalgia Tramway)

* Total length – * Opened – 29 December 1990 * Operating hours – 7 A.M. to 8 P.M. * Frequency – 10 to 20 minutes. * Fare – TL 1.75


Asian side tram: T3 Line (Kadıköy-Moda Nostalgia Tramway)

* Total length – * Opened – 1 November 2003 * Operating hours – 7 A.M. to 9 P.M. * Frequency – 10 minutes (peak-hour). * Route time, end-to-end – 20 minutes. * Fare – TL 1.75


Alignment

Both nostalgic tramlines run on unreserved tracks, in regular
street running A street running train is a train which runs on a track built on public streets. The rails are embedded in the roadway, and the train shares the street with other users, such as pedestrians, cars and cyclists, thus often being referred to as ru ...
operation. The length of the European side Taksim-Tünel (T2) tramline is , with 5 stops, Taksim, Odakule, Galatasaray, Ağa Cami and Tünel (Şişhane). The line runs between Taksim and Tunel via
İstiklal Caddesi ''İstiklal'' () is a national Turkish daily newspaper published in Istanbul, Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in S ...
(Independence Avenue). This road was formerly used by tram, bus & car. After the original tram line closed in 1962, the street was still used by buses and cars until 1990, when the area (
BeyoÄŸlu BeyoÄŸlu (; ) is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 9 km2, and its population is 225,920 (2022). It is on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey, separated from the o ...
) was recognized as a heritage area because of the many historic buildings and shops. The municipal authority decided to convert this area to a pedestrian zone, banned most vehicles (taxis and delivery vehicles are still permitted) and resurfaced the road in concrete with a tactile finish. Many medium trees were planted in both the
footpath A footpath (also pedestrian way, walking trail, nature trail) is a type of thoroughfare that is intended for use only by pedestrians and not other forms of traffic such as Motor vehicle, motorized vehicles, bicycles and horseback, horses. They ...
and road and old-fashioned street lamps and curved chairs were also installed. Tram tracks were laid in the middle of the road as a single line, with a
passing siding A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains or ...
at Galatasaray Square that allows trams from opposite directions to pass each other. As the area is a popular entertainment and nightlife district, the driver must frequently ring the bell to clear the way of pedestrians, especially during the peak tourist season. Approximate passenger volume for this system is 6,000 people per day. Interchange with the
Istanbul Metro The Istanbul Metro () is a rapid transit railway network that serves the city of Istanbul, Turkey. Apart from the M11 line, which is operated by TCDD Taşımacılık, the system is operated by Metro Istanbul, a public enterprise controlled by th ...
( M2 line) is possible at Taksim and Şishane. The length of the Asian side T3 tramline is and there are 10 stations. The single-track loop has no sidings so all trams travel in a clockwise direction from Kadıköy Square along a bus lane, Bahariye Street, and Moda Street. Approximate passenger volume for this system is 2,000 people per day. The roads were resurfaced with concrete, but are also used by other road vehicles.


Rolling stock

On the European side T2 line, the tramcars are original Istanbul cars, from the first-generation tramway (closed in 1966), which were restored in the 1980s for use on the heritage tramway. During peak season, a trailer is often coupled to the motored tram for extra capacity. As of 2008, the motored trams include car 47, built in 1913; car 223, built in 1928; and car 410. Trailers are 411 and 418, built in Germany in 1914 and 1919, respectively. On Asian side T3 line, the trams are secondhand from tram systems in
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. All are two-axle trams of similar design, but made by two different builders and acquired from two different tram systems, both located in what was
East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
at the time these trams were built. Istanbul cars 201 and 203, which have four windows on each side, are a type of tram known as ''Rekowagen'' ( de), built by ''Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk Berlin-Schöneweide'' ( de), and were previously Jena tram system car 138 and
Schöneiche bei Berlin tramway The Schöneiche bei Berlin tramway is an interurban tramway running from Berlin-Friedrichshagen station, Friedrichshagen Berlin S-Bahn, S-Bahn station to the towns of Schöneiche bei Berlin and Rüdersdorf, to the east of Berlin. Route The route ...
car 75. Car 202 was built by
Gothaer Waggonfabrik ''Gothaer Waggonfabrik'' (''Gotha'', GWF) was a German manufacturer of rolling stock established in the late nineteenth century at Gotha. During the two world wars, the company expanded into aircraft building. World War I In World War I, Go ...
(of
Gotha Gotha () is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, west of Erfurt and east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine Wettins from 1640 until the ...
) and is type Gotha T57, with three windows per side, and before being acquired by Istanbul it was No. 102 of the Jena tram system. Four more trams of type Gotha T57 were acquired from Jena in 2006. They were given fleet numbers 204–207 (ex-Jena 104, 110, 112 and 115, not necessarily in that order), but do not show their fleet numbers on the exterior, wearing advertisements instead. Ex-Jena cars 102 (now Istanbul 202) and 138 (now Istanbul 201) were built in 1958 and 1973, respectively.''Tramway & Light Railway Atlas Germany 1996'' (1995), pp. 146, 224. Berlin: Arbeitsgemeinschaft Blickpunkt Strassenbahn eV / London:
Light Rail Transit Association The Light Rail Transit Association (LRTA), formerly the Light Railway Transport League (LRTL), is a non-profit organisation whose purpose is to advocate and encourage research into the retention and development of light rail and tramway/streetc ...
. .
Ex-Jena 104, 110, 112 and 115 were built in 1960, 1961, 1958 and 1959, respectively, and the last three had been in the fleet of the Görlitz tram system until 1992.''Straßenbahnatlas Deutschland 2005'' (2005), p. 148. Berlin: Arbeitsgemeinschaft Blickpunkt Straßenbahn eV. . Ex-
Schöneiche Schöneiche is a municipality in the Oder-Spree District of Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated directly at the edge to Berlin/ Friedrichshagen and next to Rüdersdorf and Woltersdorf, Brandenburg on the eastern edge of the German capital Berlin ...
tramway car 75, now Istanbul 203, was built in 1975 (but to a 1950s design). In 2024, battery-powered trams were added to the T2 line. Overhead power lines are planned to be removed in the future.


Depots and termini

Tünel, Moda and Kadıköy are the three places where both the termini of the past system and nostalgic system of today are present. The current termini were built after complete redesign of Tünel, Moda and Kadıköy area. Taksim is still the city centre of Istanbul, which is now served by European side heritage tram.


Network map


See also

*
Public transport in Istanbul Public transport in Istanbul comprises a bus network, various Rail transport, rail systems, funiculars, and sea, maritime services to serve the more than 15 million inhabitants of the city spread over an area of . History Public road transpor ...
*
Sabiha Gökçen airport Sabiha is an Arabic word () meaning "Morning" and a female given name. People with the name include: *Sabiha Sultan (1894–1971), Ottoman princess, daughter of Mehmed VI *Sabiha Bengütaş (1904–1992), Turkish sculptor *Sabiha Gökçen (1913–2 ...
*
Metrobus (Istanbul) The Metrobus () is a bus rapid transit route in Istanbul, Turkey. The system has 44 stations that follow the city's ring road via Avcılar, Zincirlikuyu and the Bosphorus Bridge to Söğütlüçeşme using dedicated bus lanes for almost the ...
*
Ferries in Istanbul Ferries in Istanbul are a mode of public transportation within and surrounding the city of Istanbul, Turkey. There are three major ferry operators in the city: the municipally owned Şehir Hatları ("City Lines"), which operates traditional ''vap ...
*
Istanbul Airport Istanbul Airport is the larger of two international airports serving Istanbul, Turkey. It is located in the Arnavutköy district on the European side of the city. It is the largest airport in Turkey, the largest privately-owned airport in the ...
*
Istanbul Metro The Istanbul Metro () is a rapid transit railway network that serves the city of Istanbul, Turkey. Apart from the M11 line, which is operated by TCDD Taşımacılık, the system is operated by Metro Istanbul, a public enterprise controlled by th ...
*
Istanbul Tram The Istanbul Tram () is a modern tram system on the European side of Istanbul. The first section, the T1 (Istanbul Tram), T1 opened in 1992, followed by the T2, which opened in 2006. In 2011, the T1 and T2 merged, with the line retaining the T1 ...
*
Marmaray Marmaray () is a commuter rail line located in Istanbul, Turkey. The line runs from Halkalı, on the European side, to Gebze, on the Asian side, along the north shore of the Sea of Marmara. Mostly using the right-of-way of two existing com ...


References


External links


– Taksim Nostalgic Tramvay official site (IETT)

T3 Kadıköy – Moda Heritage Tramline official page

Official History of Istanbul Tram with old photos
{{DEFAULTSORT:Istanbul Nostalgic Tram Tram transport in Istanbul