🚧 Istanbul Metro Beyond 2026: Lines Under Construction and What They Could Change

المسافر · Aug 29, 2026

The network taking shape

A metro proposal, a line under construction and an operating passenger service are different things. This guide examines projects on Metro İstanbul’s official construction list in the August 2026 overview: five metro projects and the T7 tram.

When is a line close to opening?

Before passengers can travel, a project passes through:

Tunnel and station construction.
Track and electrical installation.
Signalling and control-system installation.
Trial running without passengers.
Safety and system-integration testing.
Final approvals and commercial opening.

A high construction-completion percentage does not mean opening is days away. Technical testing can take months.

1. M12 Göztepe–Ümraniye

M12 is among the most advanced projects in testing and opening preparations. The planned driverless line is approximately 13 km long with 11 stations.

Stations, from south to north:
60. Yıl Parkı → Tütüncü Mehmet Efendi → Sahrayıcedit → Yenisahra → Ataşehir → Finans Merkezi → Site → Atakent → Çarşı → SBÜ Hastanesi → Kazım Karabekir.

Key connections:

M4 at Yenisahra.
M5 at Çarşı in Ümraniye.
Marmaray via Tütüncü Mehmet Efendi.
Ataşehir and Istanbul Finance Center.

The municipality reported approximately 97% completion in April 2026 and an initial test journey in June, targeting passenger service by the end of 2026. A subsequent 28 September update identified 19 December as the target opening date. This remains a target until passenger operation is formally confirmed.

The planned end-to-end journey is around 21 minutes, with a design capacity of approximately 44,000 passengers per hour in each direction.

What would it change?
M12 adds a north–south Asian-side corridor. Residents of Ümraniye and Ataşehir would gain better access to M4, Marmaray and the Göztepe coast without relying on buses or indirect routes.

2. M10 Pendik–Sabiha Gökçen Airport connection

The M10 project includes the Pendik Merkez–Fevzi Çakmak–Hastane section connecting central Pendik with the metro network towards Sabiha Gökçen Airport.

Two important new stations are Pendik Merkez and Kaynarca Merkez. Connections are intended to bring together Marmaray, national and high-speed trains at Pendik, the M4 airport network and the Kaynarca corridor towards future Tuzla services.

The reported completion level in July 2025 was approximately 86%, with a 2026 operating target. It remained on the construction list in this overview; a formal passenger-service announcement is needed before planning a journey around it.

What would it change?
Pendik would become a stronger rail interchange, allowing people arriving by intercity train to reach the airport metro network with fewer road connections.

3. M7 from Yıldız to Beşiktaş and Kabataş

The operating M7 terminates at Yıldız. The Yıldız–Kabataş extension adds Beşiktaş and Kabataş.

Expected connections include Beşiktaş ferries, T1 and the F1 Taksim funicular at Kabataş, other maritime services, and onward M7 travel towards Mecidiyeköy, Kağıthane and Mahmutbey.

Complex archaeological work, particularly at Beşiktaş, has affected progress. The source overview provides no reliable final opening date.

What would it change?
Western and inland districts would gain direct rail access to the Bosphorus waterfront. Kabataş would become an even stronger interchange combining metro, tram, funicular and ferries.

4. M7 Mahmutbey–Esenyurt

The western M7 extension serves densely populated areas with substantial dependence on roads.

The published project route:
Mahmutbey → Bölge Parkı → Atatürk Mahallesi → Toplu Konut → Tema Park → Hastane → Tahtakale → Ispartakule → Bahçeşehir → Esenkent → Ardıçlı → Esenyurt.

Planned interchanges include M9 at Atatürk Mahallesi and an M11 connection in the Tema Park/Halkalı Stadı area, using the station names shown in the relevant project and operating maps. Eastbound travel would continue through the existing M7 and eventually to Kabataş when that extension opens.

What would it change?
Bahçeşehir, Ispartakule and Esenyurt would gain a major rail alternative. Relief on TEM and E-5 corridors depends on sufficient train capacity and effective feeder buses.

The project is long and may open in phases. Do not assume every station will enter service together without an official announcement.

5. M1B Kirazlı–Halkalı

The M1B extension continues the Yenikapı–Kirazlı route west to Halkalı.

Published stations:
Kirazlı → Barbaros → Malazgirt → Mimar Sinan → Fatih → Halkalı Merkez → Hastane → Toplu Konut → Yarımburgaz → Halkalı.

Key connections include M3 at Kirazlı, M9 at Mimar Sinan, and Marmaray and other railway services at Halkalı.

What would it change?
Küçükçekmece and Halkalı would gain another connection towards Yenikapı and central Istanbul, reducing dependence on buses for reaching the metro network. It also strengthens Halkalı’s interchange role.

The project page does not provide a confirmed final opening date in this overview.

6. T7 Eyüpsultan–Bayrampaşa tram

T7 is a tram rather than a metro. Construction began in March 2024. Its six planned stations are:

Feshane → Eyüpsultan → Belediye → Demirkapı → Bayrampaşa Maltepe → Bayrampaşa Meydan.

Connections are planned with T5 at Feshane, T4 at Demirkapı, and M1A/M1B at Bayrampaşa Maltepe.

What would it change?
The cross-connection would make some short trips between Eyüpsultan and Bayrampaşa easier without going through central districts, and improve interchange between T5, T4 and M1.

The source overview does not provide a final commercial opening date.

Which projects are closest to opening?

Based on the August 2026 announcements:

M12: advanced testing and a late-2026 target; September’s update gave a 19 December target.
M10: advanced construction and a previously announced 2026 target, requiring confirmation of passenger service.
M7 Yıldız–Kabataş: strategically important, with complex archaeological works making a precise date difficult.
M7 Mahmutbey–Esenyurt and M1B Kirazlı–Halkalı: major western projects that may be phased.
T7: an important link between existing lines, without a final opening date in this overview.

This describes reported progress and certainty, not a guaranteed opening order.

How the completed projects could reshape the network

Asian side: M12 adds north–south travel through Ümraniye, Ataşehir and Göztepe; M10 improves Pendik’s airport connection.
Bosphorus shore: M7 would reach Beşiktaş and Kabataş, connecting with ferries, T1 and F1.
Western Istanbul: M7 and M1B extensions add alternatives for Esenyurt, Bahçeşehir and Halkalı.
Interchanges: Yenisahra, Çarşı, Kabataş, Pendik, Kirazlı and Halkalı become more important.
Network structure: more trips between neighbourhoods become possible without always travelling through traditional central hubs.

Before choosing housing near a future line

Verify claims that a station is “opening soon” with the transport authority.
Check whether construction has actually started.
A tunnel or worksite does not establish an opening within months.
Locate the station entrance, not just the neighbourhood name.
Plan everyday journeys around operating services.
Allow for testing, engineering and archaeological delays.
Check the transport available if the target date slips.

What to watch

M12 is the most immediate major addition in the reported programme, with M10 improving Pendik’s airport and rail links. Later M7 and M1B extensions and T7 would bring broader changes.

The decisive milestone is an official start of passenger service. Earlier dates remain targets that can change.

Related guides

🚧 Istanbul Metro Beyond 2026: Lines Under Construction and What They Could Change

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