M3 (Ankara Metro)

The Ankara Metro () is the rapid transit system serving Ankara, the capital of Turkey. At present, Ankara's rapid transit system consists of three metro lines – the ''Ankaray (A1)'', the ''M1 - M2 - M3'' and the ''M4''. The Ankaray, M1, M2, M3 and M4 lines transported 172.1 million passengers in 2024. That corresponds to a ridership of approximately 470,185 per day.
In July 2018, the lines M1 and M3 were merged into a single line. Subsequently, in February 2019, the line M2 was also integrated into that service. This merger provides uninterrupted service between Koru and OSB-Törekent.

History

Ankaray

The ''Ankaray'' (from , meaning ''Ankara rail''), a light rail transit system (, though the line does operate as more of a "light metro" line) was the first phase of the modern rapid transit network of the city. The ''Ankaray'' was constructed by a consortium headed by Siemens over a period of four years (1992–96). It opened on 30 August 1996. The line runs between AŞTİ ( – Ankara Intercity Bus Terminal) and Dikimevi, covering a distance of , of which is through tunnels. The line has 11 stations.

Ankara Metro

The ''Ankara Metro'' has been operating since 29 December 1997, with the opening of its first full metro line, M1, traveling between Kızılay, the city center, and Batıkent. The M2 line, operating from Kızılay, the city center, to Koru, opened 12 February 2014. The M3 line, which serves almost as an extension of the M1 line, operating from Batıkent to OSB-Törekent, opened a month later on 13 March 2014. For the first few years of operations on lines M2 and M3, both of them ran separately from the M1 line; since early 2019, the three lines are operated as one continuous service between OSB-Törekent and Koru.

The M4 line, operating from Kızılay to Şehitler, opened on 5 January 2017 and expanded to Kızılay on 12 April 2023.

In 2019, the Turkish defense firm ASELSAN began traction and control upgrades on the older Bombardier cars.

Operations

Lines

This table lists the three metro lines (including the Ankaray line) currently in service on the Ankara Metro:

Stations

Rolling stock

The track width on both subway lines is 1,435 mm (normal gauge).

Vehicles of the Canadian type Hawker H6 run on the M1. The trains in Ankara are a modification of the almost identical H6 trains that were used on the Toronto subway. The vehicles were manufactured by Bombardier until the early 1990s. The structure is made of riveted aluminum and has a gray color. There is an orange stripe around the windows. There are four entrances on each side of each car. In the three-car units, the first and third cars are railcars, the middle car has no separate drive.

The underground trains used on the Ankaray line were built by the Italian wagon manufacturer AnsaldoBreda in Naples, Italy in cooperation with Siemens. Only one of the three-car units has an engine (railcar), the other two cars are not driven (sidecar). The cars are white with orange applications around the windows.

The trains for the current lines and the new ones are built by CSR-MNG (CRRC Zhuzhou) in China. The new cars have many common features with old ones. Both cars have 4 entrances, and only the first and the third cars are railcars and the middle car is a sidecar in the three-car unit. Besides the old stock, the new stock has a separate space for the control panel, located at the front of the first and the third railcar.

Network map

Rolling stock

Ankaray

''Ankaray'' vehicles on the Ankaray line are Siemens-Adtranz- Ansaldobreda, S.P.A. (AnsaldoBreda) M1, M2, and M3 trains, which have a top speed of (operational speed: ), and are equipped with regenerative braking.

The system is served by 11 trainsets. Each trainset comprises 3 sets of 2 cars paired together. Each pair of cars is long, with 60 seats, and can transport a maximum of 308 passengers; thus each trainset is approximately long and can transport 925 passengers per train. The current passenger volume capacity on the Ankaray line is 27,000 passengers per hour per direction (PPHPD).

Ankara Metro

The original vehicles used on the M1 line are Bombardier Transportation-built modified versions of the sixth-generation H-series trains used on the Toronto subway. The Toronto trains on which they were based on were built in 1986 by the Urban Transportation Development Corporation (UTDC), a company later purchased by Bombardier. There are a total of 108 of these cars, which are usually configured as 18 six-car trainsets. The car's seats are made of rigid plastic, and are all arranged longitudinally. There are no forward- or rear-facing seats, and no seats at the front or rear of each car.

In 2012, a large order of 324 subway cars from CRRC Zhuzhou was placed to supplement the fleet on line M1 and for use on the newer M2, M3 and M4 lines.

File:İvedik metrosu.jpg, Bombardier Train
File:M1 Kızılay Metro (2014).jpg, CRRC Train
File:Ankaray_emek.JPG, AnsaldoBreda Train

Signalling system

Both Ankara Metro and Ankaray depend on Communications-based Train Control railway signalling system. In Ankaray, signals only show whenever there is a train or if a blockage exists or not. However, in Ankara Metro, signals are only activated by automatic control by specific rules.

Unlike other subways, Ankara Metro does not use green signal on normal operations. Only one fixed chunk in front of the train will become available which results in yellow signals at normal operation even more than one chunk is available. The strict rule of flashing (or blinking) yellow signal depends on these two conditions that must be met at the same time: The Metro arriving at the station or present at the station must be in standard operation mode and at least one chunk towards to forward direction must be free. Also, flashing yellow signals are only emitted on forward signals, preventing reverse direction movement in normal operation mode. If one of these conditions are not met (except Operation Mode), the signal will emit red light. While train will out of standard operation mode, the signals will return normal Communitacions-based Train Control rules or manual signal control.
For green and yellow signals, there are 2 different variants; Flashing or static. Flashing signals means either automatic controlled route or manually set route in effect. Static signals are manually controlled or emitted from the control center, however.

Ankaray also uses red, yellow, and green signals. Red and green signals used for indicating is the chunk occupied or not. Unlike the Ankara metro, the yellow signal turns on when a rail change is going to be made.

File:Ankaray Green Signal.jpg, A green Ankaray signal located at Kolej station
File:Ankaray Yellow Signal.jpg, A yellow Ankaray signal located at AŞTİ station
File:Ankaray Red Signal.jpg, A red Ankaray signal located at Kolej station
File:Ankara Metro Red Signal.jpg, A red Metro signal located at Akköprü station
File:Ankara Metro Yellow Signal.jpg, A flashing yellow Metro signal located at Akköprü station, indicates a train is approaching to the station or a train is in the station and the sector is clear until the next station. This signal also indicates the train is in normal operation.
File:Ankara Metro Green Signal.jpg, A static green Metro signal located at Batıkent station, indicating the train is out of normal operation and the signal emitted manually by control center.
File:Ankara Metro Forward and Backward Signals.jpg, The signals also shows directions. Circle signal indicates forward direction, square signal indicates backward direction

Future service

Construction of the following metro lines are under construction or planned:

See also

* Başkentray extending to the northwest after.

References

* Ankara metro construction resumes soon in

February 2012

External links

Ankaray – official website

{{Rapid transit in Asia

Ankara Metro,
Ankara
Underground rapid transit in Turkey
Railway lines opened in 1997
Standard-gauge railways in Turkey
Yenimahalle, Ankara
750 V DC railway electrification
Transportation in Ankara