İZBAN
Encyclopedia
İZBAN, sometimes referred to as Egeray
, is a commuter rail system serving İzmir
and its metropolitan area
. It is the busiest commuter railway in Turkey
, serving about 150,000 passengers daily. İZBAN is a portmanteau of the words "İzmir" and "Banliyö".
Established in 2006 and began operations in 2010, İZBAN was formed to revive commuter rail in İzmir. Currently, İZBAN operates a 80 km (49.7 mi) long system, with 31 stations, consisting of two lines: the Southern Line
and the Northern Line
.
İZBAN A.Ş.
operates the railway and is owned 50% by the Turkish State Railways
and 50% by the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. İZBAN is a part of the municipality's Egeray
project.
for adults and 0.90 TL for students and seniors using the Kentkart smartcard. Passengers also have a 90 minute free transfer after using a bus or subway for IZBAN.
was created on 25 July 2006, as a part of the İzmir Municipality's plan to improve rapid transit in the city. The Turkish State Railways
and İzmir Municipality jointly created the company, to operate commuter rail service on existing lines between the town of Menderes (Cumaovası) in the south and the port town of Aliağa
in the north, using Alsancak Terminal as a hub.
The Turkish State Railways suspended rail service into İzmir after July 25, 2006 for the upgrading of the existing line. 26 existing stations were rebuilt as well as adding 5 new stations (Esbaş, Mavişehir, Atasanayi, Egekent, Egekent 2) and 15 new bus terminals were built for passengers to transfer from the train to the city wide bus, ESHOT
. The existing tracks built with wooden sleepers were taken up and re-laid with new rails and concrete sleepers. Two tunnels were built in Karşıyaka
and Şirinyer. New modern signals were added as well as a control center in Alsancak Station to control signals on the whole line. Grade crossings were completely replaced by several new underpasses and overpasses, with the exception of one grade crossing 1 km south of Alsancak Station, that wasn't removed until August 2010. Turnstiles were added to all stations to integrate them with the city wide smart card, Kentkart. A new modern maintenance facility was built in Çiğli
and is the second largest maintenance facility in İzmir, after the Halkapınar depot. Upgrading was finished on the southern line in mid 2009 and it was reopened to rail traffic on June 1, 2009. Upgrading of northern line was finished a year later and it reopened to rail traffic on May 1, 2010.
İZBAN placed orders, from CAF
, for 33 sets of E22000 EMUs in 2007. The first sets arrived in İzmir via, the Port of İzmir, in March 2010. Testing of the southern Line began in April 2010. İZBAN also requested 3 sets of TCDD E23000
EMUs used on the Sincan-Kayaş Commuter Line
for testing as well. When the Southern Line opened on August 30, 2010, the E23000 were sent back to Ankara. Testing for the Northern Line started on October 29, 2010 to January 31, 2011, when the line opened to the public.
, carrying more passengers than the rest of Turkey's other commuter railroads combined. The average daily ridership is about 100,000. In its first month, İZBAN carried about 2,000 passengers daily, this grew to 40,000 by the end of December and doubled to 80,000 by February. With the opening of the rail-bus transfers on the Northern Line, daily ridership has increased to 100,000. This is expected to rise to 140,000 by April. İZBAN, being only 6 month old has carried more than 1.6 million passengers since its opening on August 30, 2010, making it one of the worlds fastest growing commuter railroads. Below is a list of the top 10 busiest stations on the system as of September, 2011.
after the line opens to Aliağa. This is planned to upgrade 4 existing stations: Tekeli, Pancar, Tepeköy and Torbalı. Also 3 more overpasses for motorways will be built. On March 6, 2011, the project was approved by the ministry of transport and the Prime Minister of Turkey
.
and 32 km south of Torbalı to Selçuk
. The goal of this project is to link the ancient cities of Pergamon
and Ephesus
with İzmir by rail.
overhead wire.
Egeray
Egeray is the name of the current rail transportation project underway in İzmir. It is the largest transportation project in the history of the Turkish Republic. Egeray consists of upgrading the existing rail lines around İzmir to create a modern, rapid commuter rail system, extending the İzmir...
, is a commuter rail system serving İzmir
Izmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
and its metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
. It is the busiest commuter railway in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, serving about 150,000 passengers daily. İZBAN is a portmanteau of the words "İzmir" and "Banliyö".
Established in 2006 and began operations in 2010, İZBAN was formed to revive commuter rail in İzmir. Currently, İZBAN operates a 80 km (49.7 mi) long system, with 31 stations, consisting of two lines: the Southern Line
Southern Line (İZBAN)
The Southern Line is an electrified commuter rail line operated by İZBAN, using track owned by the Turkish State Railways. The line runs from Alsancak Terminal, through the southern suburbs of western Buca and central Gaziemir as well as servicing Adnan Menderes Airport via the newly rebuilt...
and the Northern Line
Northern Line (İZBAN)
The Northern Line is a commuter rail service operated by İZBAN on tracks owned by the Turkish State Railways, operating between Alsancak Terminal in İzmir to Aliağa railway station in the northern port town of Aliağa...
.
İZBAN A.Ş.
İZBAN A.Ş.
İzmir Banliyö Anonim Şirketi or İZBAN A.Ş. is the holding company of İZBAN. It was created in 2006 to operate a commuter railroad around İzmir. İZBAN A.Ş. is owned 50% by the Turkish State Railways and 50% by the İzmir Municipality....
operates the railway and is owned 50% by the Turkish State Railways
Turkish State Railways
The State Railways of the Turkish Republic or TCDD is the government owned, national railway carrier in the Republic of Turkey, headquartered in Ankara...
and 50% by the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. İZBAN is a part of the municipality's Egeray
Egeray
Egeray is the name of the current rail transportation project underway in İzmir. It is the largest transportation project in the history of the Turkish Republic. Egeray consists of upgrading the existing rail lines around İzmir to create a modern, rapid commuter rail system, extending the İzmir...
project.
Fares
IZBAN has a system wide fare of 1.50 TLTurkish lira
The Turkish lira is the currency of Turkey and the de facto independent state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The lira is subdivided into 100 kuruş...
for adults and 0.90 TL for students and seniors using the Kentkart smartcard. Passengers also have a 90 minute free transfer after using a bus or subway for IZBAN.
Routes
IZBAN currently has has two routes; The Northern Line, serving the northern districts of the city and into Aliaĝa, The Southern Line, serving the southern districts, Adnan Menderes Airport and the southern town of Menderes.| Route | | Distance | | Termini | | Districts served |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Line Northern Line (İZBAN) The Northern Line is a commuter rail service operated by İZBAN on tracks owned by the Turkish State Railways, operating between Alsancak Terminal in İzmir to Aliağa railway station in the northern port town of Aliağa... |
53 km (32.9 mi) | Alsancak Aliağa |
Konak Konak Konak can refer to:* Konak , a large house, a mansion in Turkey, possibly also fulfilling administrative functions, such as a governor's mansion* Konak, İzmir, a district of İzmir Province, Turkey, central district of İzmir metropolitan area... , Bayraklı Bayraklı Bayraklı is a district of İzmir Province of Turkey. It is one of the metropolitan districts of İzmir. Bayraklı was turned into a district by the Cabinet of Turkey in 6 March 2008.- References :... , Karşıyaka Karsiyaka Karşıyaka is a district of İzmir Province in Turkey. It is part of the Greater Metropolitan Area of İzmir, in other words a metropolitan district, the second largest after Konak in terms of population, and it is almost entirely urbanized at the rate of 99,9 per cent, with corresponding high levels... , Çiğli Çigli Çiğli is a metropolitan district of the city of İzmir in İzmir Province, Turkey. Its area covers the northern end of the boundaries of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. Çiğli district area neighbors that of Karşıyaka, another metropolitan district, to the south and the west, and that of İzmir's... , Menemen Menemen Menemen is a district of İzmir Province in Turkey as well as the district's central town. The district extends on a fertile plain formed by the alluvial soil carried by the Gediz River... , Aliağa Aliaga Aliaga can refer to:* Aliaga, Aragon, Spain* Aliağa, Turkey* the Filipino municipality of Aliaga, Nueva Ecija on Luzon* a family name, as in the case of the Peruvian writer Felipe Pardo y Aliaga... |
| Southern Line Southern Line (İZBAN) The Southern Line is an electrified commuter rail line operated by İZBAN, using track owned by the Turkish State Railways. The line runs from Alsancak Terminal, through the southern suburbs of western Buca and central Gaziemir as well as servicing Adnan Menderes Airport via the newly rebuilt... |
23 km (14.3 mi) | Alsancak Cumaovası |
Konak, Buca Buca Buca is a district of İzmir Province of Turkey. It is one of the main districts of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality.Buca was one of the preferred settlement areas of İzmir's community of Levantines... , Gaziemir Gaziemir Gaziemir is a district of İzmir Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. It is one of the metropolitan districts of Greater İzmir and is situated to the south of central İzmir on the road to İzmir... , Menderes |
History
İZBAN A.Ş.İZBAN A.Ş.
İzmir Banliyö Anonim Şirketi or İZBAN A.Ş. is the holding company of İZBAN. It was created in 2006 to operate a commuter railroad around İzmir. İZBAN A.Ş. is owned 50% by the Turkish State Railways and 50% by the İzmir Municipality....
was created on 25 July 2006, as a part of the İzmir Municipality's plan to improve rapid transit in the city. The Turkish State Railways
Turkish State Railways
The State Railways of the Turkish Republic or TCDD is the government owned, national railway carrier in the Republic of Turkey, headquartered in Ankara...
and İzmir Municipality jointly created the company, to operate commuter rail service on existing lines between the town of Menderes (Cumaovası) in the south and the port town of Aliağa
Aliaga
Aliaga can refer to:* Aliaga, Aragon, Spain* Aliağa, Turkey* the Filipino municipality of Aliaga, Nueva Ecija on Luzon* a family name, as in the case of the Peruvian writer Felipe Pardo y Aliaga...
in the north, using Alsancak Terminal as a hub.
The Turkish State Railways suspended rail service into İzmir after July 25, 2006 for the upgrading of the existing line. 26 existing stations were rebuilt as well as adding 5 new stations (Esbaş, Mavişehir, Atasanayi, Egekent, Egekent 2) and 15 new bus terminals were built for passengers to transfer from the train to the city wide bus, ESHOT
ESHOT
Elektrik Su Havagazı Otobüs Troleybüs or ESHOT is a bus service operating in the İzmir Province. ESHOT, along with İZULAŞ are the two main bus transit service in İzmir...
. The existing tracks built with wooden sleepers were taken up and re-laid with new rails and concrete sleepers. Two tunnels were built in Karşıyaka
Karsiyaka
Karşıyaka is a district of İzmir Province in Turkey. It is part of the Greater Metropolitan Area of İzmir, in other words a metropolitan district, the second largest after Konak in terms of population, and it is almost entirely urbanized at the rate of 99,9 per cent, with corresponding high levels...
and Şirinyer. New modern signals were added as well as a control center in Alsancak Station to control signals on the whole line. Grade crossings were completely replaced by several new underpasses and overpasses, with the exception of one grade crossing 1 km south of Alsancak Station, that wasn't removed until August 2010. Turnstiles were added to all stations to integrate them with the city wide smart card, Kentkart. A new modern maintenance facility was built in Çiğli
Çigli
Çiğli is a metropolitan district of the city of İzmir in İzmir Province, Turkey. Its area covers the northern end of the boundaries of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. Çiğli district area neighbors that of Karşıyaka, another metropolitan district, to the south and the west, and that of İzmir's...
and is the second largest maintenance facility in İzmir, after the Halkapınar depot. Upgrading was finished on the southern line in mid 2009 and it was reopened to rail traffic on June 1, 2009. Upgrading of northern line was finished a year later and it reopened to rail traffic on May 1, 2010.
İZBAN placed orders, from CAF
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles is a rail equipment manufacturer based in Beasain in the Basque Country, Spain. Equipment manufactured by CAF includes light rail vehicles, rapid transit trains, railroad cars and locomotives, as well as variable gauge axles that can be fitted on any...
, for 33 sets of E22000 EMUs in 2007. The first sets arrived in İzmir via, the Port of İzmir, in March 2010. Testing of the southern Line began in April 2010. İZBAN also requested 3 sets of TCDD E23000
TCDD E23000
The TCDD E23000 series are Electric Multiple Units that were built by Hyundai-Rotem, with delivery beginning in 2009.The E23000s were built to replace the E8000 EMUs. They are operated by the Turkish State Railways for commuter service in Istanbul and Ankara and leased by İZBAN for commuter service...
EMUs used on the Sincan-Kayaş Commuter Line
Sincan-Kayaş Commuter Line
The Sincan-Kayaş Commuter Line or the Ankara Suburban Railway is the name of the commuter service between Sincan and Kayaş in Ankara. The line is owned and operated by the Turkish State Railways.- History :...
for testing as well. When the Southern Line opened on August 30, 2010, the E23000 were sent back to Ankara. Testing for the Northern Line started on October 29, 2010 to January 31, 2011, when the line opened to the public.
Service
Currently, İZBAN operates 164 daily trains in both directions between Cumaovası and Aliağa. The entire line between Cumaovası and Aliağa are owned by the Turkish State Railways. There are also bus terminals integrated with several new stations. These stations are: Halkapınar, Şirinyer, Semt Garajı, Esbaş, Sarnıç and Cumaovası on the Southern Line, Mavişehir, Çiğli, Egekent 2, Hatundere, Biçerova, Menemen and Ulukent on the Northern Line.Ridership
İZBAN is by far the busiest commuter railroad in TurkeyTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, carrying more passengers than the rest of Turkey's other commuter railroads combined. The average daily ridership is about 100,000. In its first month, İZBAN carried about 2,000 passengers daily, this grew to 40,000 by the end of December and doubled to 80,000 by February. With the opening of the rail-bus transfers on the Northern Line, daily ridership has increased to 100,000. This is expected to rise to 140,000 by April. İZBAN, being only 6 month old has carried more than 1.6 million passengers since its opening on August 30, 2010, making it one of the worlds fastest growing commuter railroads. Below is a list of the top 10 busiest stations on the system as of September, 2011.
| Rank | | Station | | Passngers (2011) | | Daily Passengers | | Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Karşıyaka (İZBAN) Karşıyaka is a historic railway station on İZBAN's Northern Line, in the famous Karşıyaka district of İzmir. The station is located at the northern end of the Karşıyaka Çarşı . The station is located underground in the Karşiyaka Tunnel. It is the busiest İZBAN station in terms of passengers,... |
Northern Line (İZBAN) The Northern Line is a commuter rail service operated by İZBAN on tracks owned by the Turkish State Railways, operating between Alsancak Terminal in İzmir to Aliağa railway station in the northern port town of Aliağa... |
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Southern Line (İZBAN) The Southern Line is an electrified commuter rail line operated by İZBAN, using track owned by the Turkish State Railways. The line runs from Alsancak Terminal, through the southern suburbs of western Buca and central Gaziemir as well as servicing Adnan Menderes Airport via the newly rebuilt... |
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Halkapınar Railway Station Halkapınar railway station is a major transfer hub in İzmir, Turkey. Halkapınar is currently the only station in Turkey where a direct transfer between the railway and a city's metro system exists. The station is served by the Turkish State Railways to Bandırma, Ankara and Uşak as well as İZBAN to... |
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Southern Line |
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Çiğli Railway Station The Çiğli Railway Station is a railway station in Çiğli. The station services trains from İzmir to Ankara, Bandırma, Afyon and Uşak.-Services:... |
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Menemen Railway Station The Menemen railway station is a train station in Menemen. The station is served by the Turkish State Railways, the national rail carrier of Turkey. The station is serviced by 6 trains daily. Northbound trains go to either Bandırma, Ankara, Afyon or Uşak and southbound trains all go to Alsancak... |
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Sarnıç (İZBAN) Sarnıç is a İZBAN station in İzmir. The station was built in 1970 and rebuilt in 2010.-Service:... |
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Nergiz (İZBAN) Nergiz is a station on İZBAN's Northern Line. The station is away from Alsancak Terminal. Nergiz is the westernmost station in the Karşıyaka tunnel.-Service:... |
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Bayraklı (İZBAN) Bayraklı is a station on İZBAN's Northern Line. The station is away from Alsancak Terminal.-Service:-Bus Connections:ESHOT*102 Alpaslan Mahallesi-Gümrük*162 Cengizhan-Gümrük*501 Halkapınar Metro-Çiçek Mahellesi*502 Cengizhan-Halkapınar Metro... |
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Demirköprü (İZBAN) Demirköprü is a station on İZBAN's Northern Line. The station is away from Alsancak Terminal. Demirköprü is the first station west of the Karşıyaka tunnel.-Service:... |
Cumaovası-Torbalı
Currently, İZBAN plans on extending its line 30 km south of Cumaovası to TorbalıTorbali
Torbalı is a district of İzmir Province of Turkey.An ancient Ionian city, famous for its wines and religious sites, it has three sancuaries in marble dedicated to the Roman Emperor Augustus and his foster child Germanicus, in an ancient theatre which dominates the valley. Pieces of art found during...
after the line opens to Aliağa. This is planned to upgrade 4 existing stations: Tekeli, Pancar, Tepeköy and Torbalı. Also 3 more overpasses for motorways will be built. On March 6, 2011, the project was approved by the ministry of transport and the Prime Minister of Turkey
Prime Minister of Turkey
The Prime Minister of the Turkey is the head of government in Turkish politics. The prime minister is the leader of a political coalition in the Turkish parliament and the leader of the cabinet....
.
Aliağa-Bergama / Torbalı-Selçuk
After the Torbalı extension is finished, İZBAN plans to extend the line 55 km north of Aliağa to BergamaBergama
Bergama is a populous district, as well as the center city of the same district, in İzmir Province in western Turkey. By excluding İzmir's metropolitan area, it is one of the prominent districts of the province in terms of population and is largely urbanized at the rate of 53,6 per cent...
and 32 km south of Torbalı to Selçuk
Selçuk
Selçuk is the central town of Selçuk district, İzmir Province in Turkey, 2 km northeast of Ephesus.Its original Greek name, Agios Theológos referred to John the Theologian. Under the Ottoman Empire, it was known as Ayasoluk...
. The goal of this project is to link the ancient cities of Pergamon
Pergamon
Pergamon , or Pergamum, was an ancient Greek city in modern-day Turkey, in Mysia, today located from the Aegean Sea on a promontory on the north side of the river Caicus , that became the capital of the Kingdom of Pergamon during the Hellenistic period, under the Attalid dynasty, 281–133 BC...
and Ephesus
Ephesus
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era...
with İzmir by rail.
Menemen-Manisa
An extension to Manisa is planned and construction is expected to begin towards the end of 2011. This would mean the upgrading of several stations (Emiralem, Ayvacık, Muradiye, Horozköy) and a major upgrade of Manisa, as well as adding a few new stations to serve all villages near the line. Together with this, the existing single track line, would be made double track and electrified with 25 kV AC25 kV AC
The 25 kV Alternating current railway electrification system is commonly used in railways worldwide, especially for high-speed rail.-Overview:This electrification system is ideal for railways that cover long distances and/or carry heavy traffic...
overhead wire.