New tram on Istanbul’s Asian side to debut in 2026

ISTANBUL

A new tramline, which is envisioned to connect three central districts of the metropolis Istanbul’s Asian side, is expected to come into service toward the end of 2026.

Designed to link the districts of Üsküdar, Kadıköy and Maltepe, the new tramline’s proposal was confirmed by a majority of votes in the council held by the Istanbul Municipality on June 11.

With a total of 33 stops and an estimated length of 21.3 kilometers, the “AnadoluTRAM” line will start from the Üsküdar Square, extending to the Kadıköy dock and on to the district of Maltepe.

This new line will endorse the improvement of traffic flow and prioritize pedestrians in street configurations, as the minibuses occupying the road from Kadıköy to Maltepe will be abolished and the line full of parked cars will no longer pose an obstacle.

Planning to be integrated with the newly designed Yenidoğan-Söğütlüçeşme metro line and with Marmaray at the Söğütlüçeşme stop, the line will carry approximately 200,000 passengers daily in 2027, 277,000 in 2040 and 312,000 in 2050.