Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality launched works to the metro project estimated at TRY 5 billion (USD 885 million). The new line will provide connection between Gebze, a strong industrial centre and Darıca, both cities located on the coast of Marmara Sea.
The whole investment will be supported by the Municipality.
The metro line will have two tunnels, each 15.6 km long, 6.5 m wide and with 12 stations. The line is expected to be commissioned in 2022.
“The metro units will be automated. The metro system will be driverless”, pointed out Binali Yıldırım, Turkish member of the Parliament and former Minister of Transport. The population of Kocaeli Province, which includes the cities of Gebze and Darıca, is on a rise by 50,000 people every year. A metro line is already a necessity to support such an increase in the number of citizens, but also to face the increasing public transport demand. Moreover, the new line will support traffic decongestion.
Kocaeli is one of the most developed industrial centres in Turkey, a significant contributor to the national economy. The labour market is varied and according to the mayor of the province, İbrahim Karaosmanoğlu, there are 1.3 million daily commuters from Istanbul to Kocaeli, the location of their jobs.
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