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Türkiye plans to move ahead with the long-awaited railway project that will cross over the Bosporus, with a public tender expected before the end of the year, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said on Tuesday.
Known as the Northern Railway Crossing Project, it will create a new high-capacity rail line to strengthen freight and passenger connections between Asia and Europe, Uraloğlu told a meeting in Kazakhstan.
The new double-track electrified line stretching roughly 126 kilometers (78.29 miles) is aimed at easing congestion in Istanbul, linking the city’s two airports to the national rail network, and strengthening Türkiye’s role in transcontinental logistics.
The line will connect Çayırova to Sabiha Gökçen Airport on Istanbul’s Asian side and extend to Istanbul Airport and Çatalca on the European side via the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge suspension bridge, one of the longest and widest of its kind in the world.
It is also known as the third bridge to span the Bosporus, built for about $3 billion and opened in late August 2016. Two other bridges connecting Istanbul’s European and Asian sides are the July 15 Martyrs Bridge, formerly the Bosporus Bridge, and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, opened in 1973 and 1988, respectively.
Once operational, the rail line will boost the number of freight trains able to cross the strait, easing pressure on existing corridors.
“This year, we aim to publish the tender announcement. The project is a strategic infrastructure initiative to establish a railway link capable of handling heavy cargo transportation,” Uraloğlu said.
“With this project, we will significantly increase the capacity of rail transport currently provided through the Marmaray under the Bosporus.”
Marmaray is the world’s first underwater rail link between two continents. Opened in 2013, it carries subway commuters and serves freight trains.
The Northern Railway Crossing Project is estimated to cost about $4 billion. A year ago, Uraloğlu said Türkiye was close to an agreement with the World Bank for as much as $3 billion in financing.
Türkiye had also held talks with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to back the project. Uraloğlu had previously also said the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) could also provide financing.
Part of Development Road
The project has also been touted as one of the most important routes of the Development Road initiative, a high-speed road and rail link envisaged to run from Iraq’s port city of Basrah on the Gulf to the Turkish border and later to Europe.
A preliminary agreement between Türkiye, Iraq, Qatar and the UAE to cooperate on the project was signed in April last year.
During his speech in Kazakhstan, Uraloğlu highlighted what he described as Türkiye’s unique position as a logistics hub.
“Our strategic advantage lies in acting as a natural bridge between Asia and Europe. We are using this potential to foster regional and global trade, diversify supply chains and support sustainable development,” he noted.
The minister noted that recent transport investments contribute not only to Türkiye’s economy but also to the wider Eurasian integration.
He recalled the August groundbreaking of the Turkish section of the Zangezur Corridor, a 224-kilometer railway set to connect the Caspian basin with the Mediterranean.
“This new route will strengthen economic cooperation in the South Caucasus, help normalize regional relations and open new trade opportunities,” Uraloğlu said.
He also underlined the challenges facing global transport corridors amid geopolitical tensions and climate change, saying that the Russia-Ukraine war reshaped maritime and land logistics between Europe and Asia.
The traditional Northern Corridor is losing ground while the Middle Corridor and southern routes gain importance, according to Uraloğlu.
“However, infrastructure needs and corridor management still limit efficiency,” he said, pointing also to risks such as drought at the Panama Canal and security issues in the Suez Canal that have highlighted the fragility of maritime trade.
Middle Corridor
Turning to the Middle Corridor, which links China and Europe through Central Asia, the Caspian Sea and Türkiye, Uraloğlu stressed its growing importance.
“The Middle Corridor offers the shortest connection from China to Europe, saving transit time compared to the Suez Canal route, and generating billions of dollars in savings in global trade,” he said.
Citing World Bank data, he noted that boosting its capacity could raise China-EU trade by 30% and triple freight volumes by 2030, while cutting costs, delivery times and carbon emissions.
“The development of the Middle Corridor is not just a transport project, but a strategic step for regional stability,” Uraloğlu said. “Its future depends on the steps we take together, from accelerating customs processes to digital integration and investment coordination.”
The minister added that international cooperation frameworks with the U.N., EU and Shanghai Cooperation Organization are vital for harmonizing standards and easing cross-border trade. Türkiye, he said, is taking an active role in advancing digitalization, green logistics and sustainable transport.
Still, he acknowledged lingering hurdles such as infrastructure gaps, capacity limits, lengthy procedures and geopolitical risks.
“We believe that every step taken in the heart of Eurasia affects not only the region but global trade as well,” Uraloğlu said. “The ‘Greater Eurasia’ vision is not only about transport but about increasing prosperity, strengthening peace and fostering cooperation. Türkiye will remain a strong part of this vision.”
