Türkiye’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, announced that the tender notice for construction and consultancy services under the Northern Belt Railway Project—which will cross the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge—has been published in the Official Gazette dated February 27.
According to the minister, the project will cover the Gebze – Sabiha Gökçen Airport – Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge – Istanbul Airport – Çatalca corridor. He also stated that Türkiye has reached a financing arrangement totaling USD 6.75 billion with international financial institutions.
Preliminary financing agreements with six institutions
Uraloğlu said preliminary agreements were reached with the World Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, the OPEC Fund for International Development, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Emphasizing the strong international interest in the project, he argued that it reflects confidence in Türkiye’s rail vision, adding that the initiative will become the country’s largest externally financed railway project.
The ministry aims to complete the tender process and hand over the site within this year, allowing works to begin.
Linking Marmaray to Çatalca via the bridge
The Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge will form the backbone of the route. The line is planned to start from the Çayırova section of the Marmaray corridor, then run via Sabiha Gökçen Airport, the bridge itself, and Istanbul Airport, before reaching Çatalca. In Çatalca, it is expected to integrate with the Halkalı–Çerkezköy High-Speed Rail Line, which is currently under construction. The project is intended to ease passenger and freight pressure on Marmaray and, for the first time, provide a direct rail connection between Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen Airport.
A 125-kilometre strategic rail line
The railway is planned to span 125 km, including 44 tunnels with a combined length of 59.1 km, and 42 bridges totaling 22.4 km.
A new phase for logistics capacity
Uraloğlu noted that the rail link crossing the bridge is expected to significantly expand Türkiye’s rail freight capacity between Asia and Europe. Once completed, the line is projected to carry 33 million passengers and 30 million tons of cargo annually.
