Istanbul's Üsküdar-Ümraniye-Çekmeköy-Sancaktepe (M5) metro line, Turkey's first automated subway, has ranked first in Europe and third worldwide in a study conducted by the International Association of Public Transport (UITP).

Founded in 1885, the Brussels-based UITP is one of the largest nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the public transportation sector, with members from 90 different countries.

According to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB), UITP conducted a worldwide study on automated metro lines, with a one-time carrying capacity of over 500 passengers.

With offices in Dubai, Moscow, Istanbul, Rome, Sao Paulo, Bangalore, Ivory Coast, Hong Kong and Canberra, UITP listed the best automated metro lines around the world following a review.

The study identified the M5 automated metro line as having the highest passenger carrying capacity in Europe, leaving behind major cities like Paris, Rome and Barcelona.

Among a total of 62 automated metro lines around the world, only 22 lines can carry more than 500 passengers at a time. Singapore's Circle MRT Line, which can carry 2,000 passengers at one time, topped the list. It was followed by the Singapore North East MRT Line. Italy's Milano M5 Line, with a capacity for 536 passengers, was also on the list.

Meanwhile, Istanbul's M5 automated metro line, which operates with 21 six-car vehicles, came third on the global list. With a one-time carrying capacity of 1,620 passengers, it left behind 20 other automated metro lines in the world and ranked first in Europe. It was followed by Rome with a capacity of 1,200 passengers, Barcelona with 895 passengers and Paris with a capacity of 722 passengers.

The first phase of the metro line came into service on Dec. 15, 2017. So far, it has carried more than 25.3 million passengers, while the Ümraniye-Çekmeköy-Sancaktepe section, the second phase of the metro line, has provided services to 2.4 million people since its inauguration on Oct. 21, 2018.