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Türkiye broke ground on the Korfezray Metro Line on Saturday, the largest single investment in Kocaeli’s history, with officials hailing the project as a milestone for the country’s industrial heartland.
The ceremony, held at the Seka State Hospital Station, was attended by Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Kocaeli Governor Ilhami Aktas and Metropolitan Mayor Tahir Buyukakin.
The first phase of Korfezray will cover 28.5 kilometers (17.7 miles) along Kocaeli’s east–west axis, with 18 stations serving the districts of Korfez, Derince, Izmit, and Kartepe.
Officials said the line will initially serve 300,000 passengers daily, rising to 500,000 over time.
Built as a double line, the project will eventually stretch 57 kilometers and is designed to integrate fully with the city’s tram, rail, bus, and sea transport networks.
Uraloglu said the government is expanding Türkiye’s urban rail systems to ease congestion in major cities.
The length of operational urban rail lines nationwide has reached 434 kilometers, he said, with 89.1 kilometers now under construction across six lines.
Four additional lines totaling 76.9 kilometers are also planned in Ankara, Istanbul, Samsun, and Konya.
“When we complete the ongoing and planned projects, we will increase the length of urban rail system lines built by our ministry across the country from 434 kilometers to 745 kilometers,” Uraloglu said.
He noted that Kocaeli’s urban rail network will expand from 17.3 kilometers to 61.2 kilometers once projects currently under construction are completed, including the 15.4-kilometer Gebze OSB–Darica Coast line with 11 stations.
That metro is expected to serve 330,000 passengers daily.
The Korfezray line will be constructed using six tunnel boring machines, advancing about 10 meters per day depending on ground conditions.
Uraloglu said tunneling could reach up to 100 meters daily if conditions improve.
Excavation of the Derince Training and Research Hospital–Bus Terminal section is scheduled for completion in 2027, with all excavation finished in 2028.
The 14-kilometer stretch between the hospital and bus terminal is expected to open in 2028, and the entire line by 2029.
“With modern engineering techniques, we will ensure safe, fast, and comfortable travel across Kocaeli,” Uraloglu said, adding that Korfezray would provide seamless connections to hospitals, the bus terminal, and Sekapark.
Since 2002, Kocaeli has received ₺410 billion in transportation and communication investments under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s leadership, Uraloglu said.
He cited projects including the North Marmara and Istanbul–Izmir highways, the Osmangazi Bridge—which reduced Gulf of Izmit crossing time from 1.5 hours to 6 minutes—and the Ankara–Istanbul High-Speed Train.
He also highlighted the Kosekoy Logistics Center and announced progress on the Derince Port connection, where construction will begin soon after a new tender process.
Home to 80 companies listed on the ISO 500, including Tupras, Ford, Hyundai, and Sisecam, Kocaeli is Türkiye’s leading manufacturing hub.
With 37 ports, it accounts for 44% of Türkiye’s automotive production, 27% of chemical production, and 19% of metal industry output.
The province contributed $119.36 billion to foreign trade in 2024, about 19.7% of the national total, and provides jobs for about 150,000 people.
Officials said the Korfezray project will ease traffic, improve the quality of life, and boost Kocaeli’s economic and socio-cultural development.
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