İzmir Tram

Tram İzmir

A tram on the Karşıyaka Line approaching Alaybey station on opening day.
Overview
Owner	İzmir Metropolitan Municipality
Area served	Karşıyaka, Çiğli and Konak
Locale	İzmir, Turkey
Transit type	Tram
Number of lines	2
Number of stations	14 (In operation) 18 (Under construction)
Website	Tram İzmir
Operation
Began operation	11 April 2017 (Karşıyaka)
Operator(s)	İzmir Metro A.Ş.
Number of vehicles	38
Train length	32 m (105 ft)
Technical
System length	21.6 km (13.4 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	750V DC
Average speed	24 km/h (15 mph)
Top speed	70 km/h (43 mph)

Tram İzmir is a light rail transit (LRT) system partially completed in İzmir, Turkey. Owned by the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and operated by İzmir Metro A.Ş., the system consists of two separate lines: one in Karşıyaka, which opened on 11 April 2017, and the other in Konak, which is scheduled to open by the end of 2017.

As of November 2017, the operating system length consists of 8.8 km (5.5 mi) and 14 stations. When the Konak tram is completed, the system length will increase to 21.6 km (13.4 mi) and 32 stations. The total cost of these two lines is about ₺450 million (approx. US$ 120 million).

Prior to Tram İzmir, the city had a modest tram network that began operations in 1890. The network was slowly dismantled starting in 1939 and ending with the dismantling of the Konak-Pasaport line in 1954.

Automobile traffic rose greatly in the decades that followed and in the early 2000s, the city was plagued with congestion in central areas.

In 2009, the Metropolitan Municipality released an overall transportation plan for the city. Within the plan consisted of three new light-rail transit lines, one in Konak, Karşıyaka and in Buca respectively. These three lines were to be integrated with the city's metro line as well as the two commuter rail lines. Construction was originally expected to start by the end of 2011, however due to the delayed Environmental Impact Report, this date was pushed back to 2015. In 2013, the Municipality secured necessary funding from the Ministry of Development and finalized system plans in 2014. In the finalized plan, the Buca Tram line was removed due to pressure from the Ministry of Transport. Construction began in April 2015 on the Karşıyaka Tram, and in November 2015 on the Konak Tram.

The first tram vehicles were delivered in 2016 and showcased at the İzmir International Fair in August of the same year. Built by Hyundai-ROTEM in Adapazarı, the rest of the vehicles were delivered in February 2017.

The Karşıyaka Tram line entered service on 11 April 2017 between Alaybey and Ataşehir, with the first three months free of charge to riders. On 1 July 2017, the tram line made its first revenue run with ten minute headways.

The system operates on on its own right of way as well as automobile lanes, despite the latter utilized less so, and is electrified with 750V DC overhead wire and consists of Communications-based train control (CBTC) signalling. Most of the network is double-tracked, except for a short portion between Karşıyaka pier and Alaybey. Both lines will have their own storage and maintenance depots, in Mavişehir and Halkapınar respectively.