Marmaray tunnel ceremonial test trainIn 2013, the first ceremonial test train ran through the Marmaray rail tunnel under the Bosphorus Strait, the world's first sea tunnel connecting two continents, linking Kazliçesme, Turkey in Europe and Ayrılıkçesme in Asia. The submerged part of the tunnel is 1.4-km long running 50-m below the seabed. At the controls was Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a former mayor of Istanbul. Despite his idea being denounced by critics as “pharaonic,” he initiated the project in 2004 to alleviate the congestion of two million daily commuters over the two Bosphorus bridges. The tunnel was opened for public service on 29 Oct 2013, the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic. By Jun 2015 the entire project would be finished with a total 77-km cross-city surburban service above and below ground.« |
