Istanbul’s T3 Kadıköy–Moda nostalgic tram, one of the best-loved sights on the city’s Asian side, will be closed for a period while a section of the line is rebuilt, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) said, according to a report published on 18 October.
The municipality has not announced how long the closure will last.
570 metres of track to be rebuilt
The work, carried out by İBB’s Rail Systems Department, covers a 570-metre stretch between the Kilise and Moda İlkokulu stops. Crews will break up and replace the concrete beneath the rails as part of a comprehensive renovation of that section.
The T3 opened in November 2003 and runs a clockwise loop of about 2.6 km with 10 stops, starting at Kadıköy’s waterfront and climbing through Bahariye Street and the Moda district before returning to the square. Its vintage single cars are popular with residents and visitors alike and appear in countless photos of the neighbourhood.
Replacement service
During the works, electric vehicles operated by the city bus company İETT, which normally serve the car-free Princes’ Islands, will run on the Kadıköy–Moda route instead of the tram.
The replacement vehicles will start at the Kadıköy İDO ferry terminal and follow the tram route to Damga Sokak. After Bahariye they will divert via Sakızgülü Sokak and Moda Caddesi, rejoining the tram route at Rızapaşa.
The Kilise, Moda İlkokulu and Moda stops will not be served while the works continue, so passengers heading to the Moda seafront should allow for a short walk.
Getting around Kadıköy
Kadıköy is one of the most popular districts for foreign residents and students in Istanbul, thanks to its ferry links to the European side, the Marmaray rail tunnel and the M4 metro. Our Istanbul living guide covers the neighbourhood and transport options in more detail.
The area has also had a difficult week: heavy rain across the city led to flooding that killed two people and closed schools, and overnight into 19 October a three-storey historic wooden mansion in Kadıköy’s Merdivenköy neighbourhood was destroyed by fire. The building was empty and the cause has not yet been established.
Public transport upgrades are under way elsewhere in Türkiye too, with İzmir adding 111 new buses to its fleet. Passengers can check service updates through Metro Istanbul and İETT’s official channels.
Sources
- İstanbullular dikkat! Tarihi ulaşım hattı yenileme çalışması nedeniyle kapatılıyor (Turizm Güncel)
- Kadıköy’de tarihi ahşap köşk küle döndü (NTV)
Photo: Ex13 / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
