The scope, route, stops, statistics and history of Izmir suburban train (Izban):
Project overview
- Owner: Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and TCDD
- Phases:
- Aliağa-Cumaovası: 80 km
- Cumaovası-Tepeköy: 30 km
- Tepeköy-Selçuk: 26 km
- Aliağa-Bergama: 49 km
- Contractor:
- Construction: Bayindir Insaat, Yapi Merkezi, Bozoglu Insaat, Doyap Yapi
- Araclar: CAF, Hyundai Rotem
- Commission date:
- Halkapınar-Cumaovası: 8/2010
- Aliağa-Halkapınar: 3/2011
- Cumaovası-Tepeköy: 2/2016
- Tepeköy-Selçuk: 9/2017
Route
Stops/connections
Aliağa – Biçerova – Hatundere – Menemen – Egekent 2 – Ulukent – Egekent – Ata Sanayi – Çiğli – Mavişehir (Karşıyaka Tram) – Şemikler – Demirköprü – Nergiz – Karşıyaka – Alaybey (Karşıyaka Tram) – Naldöken – Turan – Bayraklı – Salhane – Halkapınar (İzmir Metro and Konak Tram) – Hilal (İzmir Metro) – Alsancak – Kemer – Şirinyer – Koşu – İnkilap – Semt Garajı – ESBAŞ – Gaziemir – Sarnıç – Adnan Menderes Airport – Cumovası – Develi – Tekeli – Pancar – Kuşçuburun – Torbalı – Tepeköy – Sağlık – Selçuk
Project details
The suburban service passing through Izmir and connecting suburbans. Click for train timetable.
With a well-designed integration with metro, tram and buses, Izban became backbone of urban transport in Izmir and biggest suburban service in Turkey.
The line is also used by other passenger trains and freight trains.
- Line length: 136 km
- Travel time: 145 min
Targets
- The service is planned to extend till Pergamon in north (49 km). When completed, suburban line will be 185 km long.
- When completed, 500k passengers will use trains everyday.
- Trains will depart every 3-5 minutes.
Rolling Stock
33 CAF sets (99 cars) and 40 Hyundai Rotem sets (120 cars)
Ridership
- 2015: 87.4 million
- 2016: 88 million
- 2017: 98 million
Cover photo: Onur Uysal ©
Categories: Urban Transport
Rail Turkey En 
What has been achieved with the IZBAN system is impressive, but the system is plagued by a problem common to many urban systems: long journeys (Aliağı to Alsancak, for example) are tedious with the many stops. This reminds me of what it is like travelling from Heathrow Airport to central London on the Piccadilly Line. There needs to be consideration for the provision of express/limited stop services and this will certainly be necessary to encourage tourists to use the IZBAN for places such as Selçuk and Bergama. The IZBAN is also a way to access Foca (combined with ESHOT bus services) but would be more attractive with an express service.