The Groundbreaking of the Bosphrous Tube Crossing Tunnel, the Marmaray Project’s first phase was realised in 9 May 2004.
The project is due for completion by 2012.
The project will eventually integrate, the currently, fragmented 10,000/hr passenger-capacity local rail system running two unconnected tracks in the Asian and European sides respectively.
The outcome will be a cutting-edge, all-in-one; a 75,000/hr one-way passenger-capacity system. The travel time between Gebze-Halkalı shall be 105 minutes approximately.