Marmaray

In the Marmaray project , the S-Bahn lines (blue) on the European side were connected to those on the Asian side of Istanbul by a tunnel under the Bosporus

Marmaray is a railway line and a railway line in Istanbul . It includes a railway tunnel under the Bosporus and its access routes to Halkalı on the European and Gebze on the Asian side. The name of the project is derived from the Sea of Marmara and the Turkish word ray for rail or track . The project connects the two S-Bahn lines ( Banliyö Trenleri ) with each other and serves long-distance passenger and freight traffic. It is the first connection between the European and the Asian subnetwork of the TCDD and also the first standard-gauge railway connection between the two continents. In addition to the Banliyö Trenleri, the entire length of the route is also used by the Yüksek Hızlı Tren high-speed train , which only stops at selected stations.

prehistory

The idea of a Bosphorus tunnel dates back to 1860. Since the Bosphorus is relatively deep and it was not possible to cross it with the technology at the time, a kind of “floating tunnel” was to be created, which would rest like a bridge on pillars on the sea floor. During the following decades the idea was discussed further. A second plan from 1902 provided for tunnels that were to lie on the ocean floor , similar to the Hudson Tunnel in New York , which opened in 1908 . These drafts and other ideas were not pursued any further.

requirements

Regional

With 15 million inhabitants, Istanbul is one of the twenty largest cities in the world. The Bosporus divides the city into a European and an Asian area, with around two thirds of the population living in the European part. The two parts of the city are connected by ferry boats and three road bridges. The share of rail traffic in total traffic is low in Istanbul compared to other large cities.

Supraregional

The Bosporus separates the Western European, standard-gauge , rail network from the standard-gauge network of Asian Turkey, Iraq , Syria and Iran . Freight wagons therefore have to be transported by ferry across the strait. An alternative route north of the Black Sea is not possible due to the different gauge in Ukraine , Russia and Georgia . There are plans to connect the Western European and Chinese standard gauge networks via Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan .

decision

Due to the rapid growth of the city and urban traffic, the idea of a tunnel was revived in the 1980s, and a comprehensive study was published in 1987. Another appraisal from 1998 finally led to the decision to implement the plans. On August 19, 1999, the Turkish Minister of State Recep Önal and the Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Kōmura signed an agreement on the project in Ankara. This approved an initial $ 117 million loan. Overall, Japan intended to provide $ 886 million for the $ 1.6 billion project. Completion was originally planned within four years. In 2004 the European Investment Bank (EIB) joined.

execution

Marmaray project on the route network map

Marmaray Project Tunnel

Construction work in May 2012

The Bosporus is crossed in a 1,387 m long immersed tunnel, which leads 56 m below sea level under the strait. The eleven tunnel elements were prefabricated and lowered at the installation site in a trench previously built on the seabed. After connecting the segments, the trench was filled again. Of the eleven tunnel segments, eight are 135 m long, two 98.5 m and one 110 m. On the outside, the prefabricated elements are 8.75 m high and 15.5 m wide. The tunnel segments were connected on the land side with tunnel tubes constructed using mining techniques .

For the section, which went into operation in 2013 , new underground stations were built in Yenikapı , Sirkeci and Üsküdar , and 37 above-ground stations were modernized or newly built for the entire route. At the Yenikapı station, you can change to the M1 A , M1 B and M2 underground lines , and at the Sirkeci station, a subway station was built under the city's European main train station, with the option of changing to the T1 tram line . In Üsküdar there is a change to the Üsküdar – Dudullu metro line ( M5 ) and in İbrahimağa / Ayrılıkçeşme to the M4 .

The route is mostly three-track , two tracks are for local traffic, one is reserved for long-distance traffic. The long-distance track has passing points every four to five kilometers. The tunnel under the Bosporus has two tracks. The long-distance service serves eight stations in Istanbul and takes 105 minutes from Gebze to Halkalı. Because of the high passenger traffic load, the freight trains run at night. A transport performance of 75,000 passengers per hour and direction is to be achieved for local passenger transport. The share of rail traffic in Istanbul should increase from 3.6% to 27.7%.

The train control systems for the S-Bahn on tracks T1 and T2 are the Sirius CBTC system from Invensys Rail Dimetronic (now as Trainguard Sirius at Siemens Mobility ) and ETCS Level 1 for long-distance traffic on track T3. The common control center is in Maltepe .

vehicles

S-Bahn train sets in Istanbul

As part of the Marmaray project, 20 five-car and 34 ten-car multiple units were supplied by the Korean company Hyundai Rotem . The vehicles are 3 m wide; a ten-car train is 220 meters long and can carry up to 3,040 people. For this high capacity and a quick change of passengers, the cars have five double doors on each side and wide standing areas, but only relatively few seats. The car bodies are welded from stainless steel and designed for a durability of 50 years.

building-costs

The construction costs of the project are expected to be around 2.5 billion euros. The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) provide most of the funding. As is so often the case with large construction projects, the construction costs are not adhered to here either. However, those responsible are very cautious about exact figures.

Archaeological finds

Construction work began in May 2004. During work on the Yenikapı station, remains of the ancient port of Byzantium from the 4th century including 33 ships and graves up to 8500 years old were found. For the Marmaray project, this resulted in a local construction freeze. On January 13, 2011, the archaeological excavations were completed. A new museum is to be created for the objects found during the excavations.

Contract history

At the beginning of 2010, the AMD consortium responsible for track laying and electrical systems (consisting of Alstom , Marubeni and Dogus) terminated the contract. In September 2010 the contract was put out to tender again, and in May 2011 the financial offers of the qualified joint ventures were published: OHL and Dimetronic (1.04 billion euros); Impergilo, Alarko and Ansaldo (EUR 1.07 billion); Astaldi , Yüksel and Gülermak (1.11 billion euros); CRCC, Cengiz Construction and IC İçtaş (1.35 billion euros); Bechtel and Enka (1.48 billion euros).

The order for the train control systems for the entire route, worth 932.8 million euros, was awarded to a joint venture consisting of the Spanish construction company Obrascón Huarte Lain (OHL) and the British company Invensys Rail (at a ratio of 70:30) on October 25, 2011. forgive. The project is supported by the Council of Europe Development Bank and the European Investment Bank .

opening

Opening ceremonies in Üsküdar (October 29, 2013)

On October 29, 2013, the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic, the tunnel under the Bosporus was opened to traffic. The opened section comprised the tunnel and five stations. Initially, it was not connected to the rest of the railway network on either side. The 43 stations and the 76.6 km long route only went into operation on March 12, 2019.

Construction engineering

Location requirements and material

The tunnel tubes lie at a depth of up to 56 m below sea level. The water column above causes an overpressure of approx. 6 bar , which the tunnel wall has to withstand. In addition, according to the specifications, the tunnel must be earthquake-proof up to strength 9 on the Richter scale. A special concrete with additives was therefore developed for the construction of the tunnel tubes, which contains high-performance superplasticizers and air entraining agents. The finished concrete must not have any cracks, not even on a microscopic level. The developed material was subjected to strict tests in a specially set up laboratory at the Istanbul Technical University. The mixture contains little water and cement so that 50 ° C is not exceeded during hardening (normal is 70 ° C) so that no microcracks occur.

Earthquake security

Istanbul is located in the immediate vicinity of the North Anatolian Fault , which runs around 20 kilometers south of the city in an east-west direction through the Sea of Marmara. The city therefore lives with the constant danger of violent earthquakes . In 1999 there was a severe earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 on the Richter scale with the epicenter in İzmit about 100 kilometers east of Istanbul. The Marmaray tunnel is therefore designed to withstand earthquakes up to a magnitude of 9.0 according to Richter and also possible soil liquefaction on sandy ground. In order to guarantee the mechanical properties required for this over a long period of time (designed for at least 100 years), a special concrete additive was developed.

Technical specifications

Track width: 1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Power supply: 25 kV, 50 Hz via overhead line
Route length: 76.3 km
- Including three-track expansion of existing above-ground lines: 62.7 km
- New tunnel: 13.6 km
  - Of which on the seabed: 1.4 km
  - In mining construction: 9.8 km
  - Open cut: 2.4 km
Lowest point (below sea level): −56 m
Maximum gradient: 18 ‰
Smallest curve radius : 300 m
Number of stations: 40
- Of which new construction, completely in the tunnel: 3
- Long-distance traffic stations: 8
Platform length for local transport: min. 225 m
Platform height for local transport: 1050 mm
Platform height for long-distance traffic: 550 mm
Average station distance: 2 km
Passengers per hour in each direction: 75,000
Maximum speed: 100 km / h
Average speed (S-Bahn trains): 45 km / h
Sequence of moves: 2 to 10 minutes
Train length (S-Bahn): max. 220 m (ten-car multiple unit)
Number of new cars: 440

literature

Marmaray project. The project and its management, Steen Lykke and Hüseyin Belkaya. In: Tunneling and Underground Space Technology. Oxford 20.2005, pp. 600-603, ISSN 0886-7798 (PDF file; 349 kB).
LCF Ingerslev: Considerations and strategies behind the design and construction requirements of the Istanbul Strait immersed tunnel. In: Tunneling and Underground Space Technology. Oxford 20.2005, pp. 604-608, ISSN 0886-7798 (PDF file; 239 kB).
Marmaray project. Marine operations, the Bosphorus Crossing, Steen Lykke and Frits van de Kerk. In: Tunneling and Underground Space Technology. Oxford 20.2005, pp. 609-611, ISSN 0886-7798 (PDF file; 78 kB).
Marmaray project. Tunnels and stations in BC contract, Hideki Sakaeda. In: Tunneling and Underground Space Technology. Oxford 20.2005, pp. 612-616, ISSN 0886-7798 (PDF file; 422 kB).
MARMARAY BC1 PROJESİ VE ÖLÇME ÇALIŞMALARI. On: hkmo.org.tr (PDF; 654 kB).
Robert Mehl: Marmaray project with Bosporus tunnel in Istanbul / TR - tunnel sunk . In: tunnel . Official organ of the STUVA. No. 6/2013 . Bauverlag, September 2013, ISSN 0722-6241 , p. 12–19 (bilingual German / English throughout).
Richard Hennig : A tunnel under the Bosporus. In: Reclams Universum , 34 (1918), pp. 267-268.

Web links

Commons : Marmaray - collection of images, videos and audio files

Website (turkish)

ITU Marmaray Lab

Pictures of the planned trains on the Hürriyet website

Video of the wagons and locomotives on Sabah

Michael Schramm: On the way above and below the Bosporus. ( Memento from January 12, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Video blog: "Orient Express". On: tagesschau.de from January 10, 2014.

Elif Batuman: The Big Dig. Report on the archaeological finds (English).

BahnInfo regional about S-Bahn Istanbul

Individual evidence

↑ Competition for the Transsib: Transeurasische Eisenbahn. ( Memento of October 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive ). On: eurasischesmagazin.de of May 27, 2004, accessed October 30, 2013.
↑ Bosphorus Tunnel is on the way. In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , Issue 1/2000, ISSN 1421-2811 , p. 36.
↑ Marmaray Project. On: m-hesse.com from May 2011, accessed on October 30, 2013.
↑ ^a ^b A General Introduction to the Marmaray Project. On: UIC.org. Newsletter "UIC eNews" No. 372 from November 5, 2013.
↑ Marmaray Vagonları Hakkında. On: wowturkey.com. Playback of a press release on the signing of the contract with Hyundai Rotem in a forum (Turkish), accessed on October 30, 2013.
↑ Marmaray tunnel work to speed up after archeological digs end. ( Memento from January 20, 2011 in the Internet Archive ). From: todayszaman.com January 19, 2011, accessed October 30, 2013.
^ Marmaray excavations earn Istanbul new museum. On: medievalnews.blogspot.com of March 13, 2011 (English), accessed October 30, 2013.
↑ US-Turkish venture makes top bid for Istanbul's Marmaray project. ( Memento of November 4, 2013 in the Internet Archive ). From: hurriyetdailynews.com on May 17, 2011, accessed October 30, 2013.
↑ Marmaray railway upgrading contract awarded. From: railwaygazette.com November 1, 2011; accessed October 30, 2013.
↑ Invensys Rail wins landmark £ 170 million contract for Bosphorus Crossing. ( Memento of November 2, 2013 in the Internet Archive ). On: invensys.com of November 3, 2011.
↑ bac: TCDD put Marmaray line into operation . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International 5/2019, p. 257; Connecting Istanbul's east and west, Marmaray suburban rail fully opens. On: DailySabah.com March 12, 2019.
↑ "Marmaray project crosses the Bosphorus" on bauforum24.biz from April 28, 2009, accessed on April 30, 2020
^ BASF online reporter. March 31, 2014.
^ Digging to Byzantium. Turkish Tunnel Project Unearths at Ancient Harbor. On: spiegel.de of May 10, 2006 (English), accessed on October 30, 2013.
^ Marmaray Tunnel, Istanbul, Turkey. Special concrete additives for a tunnel between two continents. ( Memento from November 1, 2013 in the Internet Archive ). From: construction-chemicals.basf.com , accessed October 30, 2013.

[1] Competition for the Transsib: Transeurasische Eisenbahn. ( Memento of October 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive ). On: eurasischesmagazin.de of May 27, 2004, accessed October 30, 2013.

[eri-2000-36-2] Bosphorus Tunnel is on the way. In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , Issue 1/2000, ISSN 1421-2811 , p. 36.

[3] Marmaray Project. On: m-hesse.com from May 2011, accessed on October 30, 2013.

[UIC372-4] A General Introduction to the Marmaray Project. On: UIC.org. Newsletter "UIC eNews" No. 372 from November 5, 2013.

[5] Marmaray Vagonları Hakkında. On: wowturkey.com. Playback of a press release on the signing of the contract with Hyundai Rotem in a forum (Turkish), accessed on October 30, 2013.

[6] Marmaray tunnel work to speed up after archeological digs end. ( Memento from January 20, 2011 in the Internet Archive ). From: todayszaman.com January 19, 2011, accessed October 30, 2013.

[7] Marmaray excavations earn Istanbul new museum. On: medievalnews.blogspot.com of March 13, 2011 (English), accessed October 30, 2013.

[8] US-Turkish venture makes top bid for Istanbul's Marmaray project. ( Memento of November 4, 2013 in the Internet Archive ). From: hurriyetdailynews.com on May 17, 2011, accessed October 30, 2013.

[9] Marmaray railway upgrading contract awarded. From: railwaygazette.com November 1, 2011; accessed October 30, 2013.

[10] Invensys Rail wins landmark £ 170 million contract for Bosphorus Crossing. ( Memento of November 2, 2013 in the Internet Archive ). On: invensys.com of November 3, 2011.

[11] : TCDD put Marmaray line into operation . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International 5/2019, p. 257; Connecting Istanbul's east and west, Marmaray suburban rail fully opens. On: DailySabah.com March 12, 2019.

[12] "Marmaray project crosses the Bosphorus" on bauforum24.biz from April 28, 2009, accessed on April 30, 2020

[basf_2010331-13] BASF online reporter. March 31, 2014.

[14] Digging to Byzantium. Turkish Tunnel Project Unearths at Ancient Harbor. On: spiegel.de of May 10, 2006 (English), accessed on October 30, 2013.

[15] Marmaray Tunnel, Istanbul, Turkey. Special concrete additives for a tunnel between two continents. ( Memento from November 1, 2013 in the Internet Archive ). From: construction-chemicals.basf.com , accessed October 30, 2013.