"Marmaray", Turkey's dream for 153 years, will be open in Istanbul on the 90th anniversary of Republic of Turkey on October 29.
"Marmaray" is expected to transport around 1 million people per day by connecting the Asian and European sides of Istanbul in 4 minutes.
The top of the government besides Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta, Afghan Transportation & Aviation Minister Dr. David Ali Najafi, Azerbaijani Transportation Minister Ziya Mammadov, Bulgarian Minister of Transport, Information Technology & Communications Daniel Papazov, Georgian Minister of Economy & Sustainable Development Giorgi Kvrikiashvili, Moldovan Minister of Transports & Road Infrastructure Vasile Botnari, Albanian Minister of Transport & Infrastructure Edmond Haxhinasto, Spanish Minister of Public Works Ana Maria Pastor, Romanian FM George Ciamba and Transportation Minister Ramona-Nicole Manescu will join the opening ceremony on October 29 that coincides with the 90th annversary of the foundation of Republic of Turkey.
Japanese Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, Deputy Minister of Land, Infrstructure, Transportation & Tourism Tsuyoshi Takagi, Kazakh Deputy Minister Azat Bekturov, German Undersecretary the Minister of Transportation, Public Works & Urbanization Jan Muecke, Pakistani Undersecretary of the Minister of Ports & Navy Rukhsana Rehman will also join the ceremony.
The opening will start from Uskudar station by President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan with the participation of guest ministers and invitees. After the ceremony, President Gul and PM Erdogan will pass to European part of Turkey under the sea by reaching Yenikapi station. Then the ceremony will finish with another ceremony.
The travel durations are listed as follows:
Between Gebze and Halkali 105 minutes
Between Bostanci and Bakirkoy 37 minutes
Between Sogutlucesme and Yenikapi 12 minutes
Between Uskudar and Sirkeci 4 minutes
Marmaray is currently among the major transportation infrastructure projects in the world as the railway system will measure approximately 76 kms in total. The main structures and systems include the immersed tube tunnel, bored tunnels, cut-and-cover tunnels, at-grade structures, three new underground stations, 37 surface stations (renovation and upgrading), operations control centre, yards, workshops, maintenance facilities, upgrades of existing tracks including a new third track, new electrical and mechanical systems and modern railway vehicles.
Reliefs inspired by the pieces belonging to the Neolithic, Byzantine and Ottoman periods will cover the stations' entrances and interiors. Besides, the remains of a shipwreck dating to the 4th to 5th centuries AD, catalogued by archaeologists as "Lagan number 12," will also be exhibited in the art board at Yenikapi Station.
Ongoing archeological efforts along the Marmaray project discovered 13 shipwrecks and around 35,000 historic relics and pieces. These pieces will be exhibited in the museum to be established in the Yenikapi Hundred Islands area named Arkeopark.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
