Türkiye is moving ahead with a new metro project designed to expand Istanbul’s rail network and improve connections between the city’s northern districts.

Initially prepared by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), the Ümraniye-Kavacık-Beykoz Rail System Line was officially transferred to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure via a presidential decree published in the Official Gazette on Tuesday.

The new line will connect Ümraniye, Kavacık and Beykoz on Istanbul’s Asian side, spanning approximately 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) with 14 stations along a route roughly parallel to the Bosphorus.

The line will connect with the planned Altunizade-Bosna Boulevard-Ümraniye Sports Village rail project at Bosna Boulevard station. It will also provide a direct transfer to the M5 Üsküdar-Sultanbeyli line at its Ümraniye starting point.

The project comes as Istanbul continues to expand its rail network, with the Halkalı-Istanbul Airport metro line also advancing. The line strengthens connections between the city’s European side and Istanbul Airport and forms part of the 69-kilometer, fully underground M11 route, one of the world’s longest metro lines.

Istanbul has one of Türkiye’s most extensive urban transportation networks, comprising metro, tram, funicular, cable car, Metrobus, suburban rail and ferry services. Most of the city’s rail systems are operated by Metro Istanbul, while the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure operates lines including the M11 Istanbul Airport metro.

The network also includes Marmaray, the cross-Bosphorus commuter rail line connecting the European and Asian sides, while ferries provide another key link between the two shores.