Tram systems in İzmir
İzmir is a major port city on Türkiye’s Aegean coast, spreading around the shores of the Gulf of İzmir. Historically known as Smyrna, it has a long association with maritime trade and remains an important commercial, industrial and cultural centre. Its waterfront promenades, busy shopping districts and historic neighbourhoods give different parts of the city distinctive characters.
The central districts include Konak, with its landmark clock tower and nearby Kemeraltı bazaar, and Alsancak, known for its shops, cafés and Kordon waterfront. Across the gulf, Karşıyaka and Bostanlı combine residential and commercial areas with popular coastal parks and promenades. The ancient Agora and the streets around Kemeraltı reflect the city’s long history.
İzmir’s public transport combines metro, suburban rail, trams, buses and ferries. The metro provides an important route through the central and western districts, while the İZBAN suburban railway connects the urban area with communities to the north and south, including a rail connection to Adnan Menderes Airport. Bus services extend coverage beyond the rail corridors and provide connections at transport interchanges.
Ferries are an established part of everyday travel across the gulf, linking waterfront districts on its northern and southern shores. Several ferry terminals offer connections with trams, buses or the metro, allowing passengers to combine journeys by land and water. The İzmirim Kart payment system is used across the principal public transport modes.
İzmir’s modern tram network is branded Tram İzmir and serves three principal areas: Konak, Karşıyaka and Çiğli. The Konak tramway runs on the southern side of the gulf, while the connected Karşıyaka and Çiğli tramways serve the northern and northwestern districts. Together, they complement the metro, suburban railway and ferries, providing local connections along the waterfront and into residential, commercial and employment areas.
The Konak tramway links the Fahrettin Altay area with Halkapınar, serving the southern waterfront, Konak and Alsancak. The Karşıyaka tramway follows the northern shore through Karşıyaka and Bostanlı towards Mavişehir, while the Çiğli tramway extends coverage inland to neighbourhoods, industrial areas, hospital facilities and İzmir Kâtip Çelebi University.
The tramways use modern low-floor vehicles and run largely on reserved tracks alongside city streets. Coastal sections and landscaped track are prominent features, making the system useful both for everyday journeys and for reaching waterfront attractions. Interchanges with other public transport services connect the tram corridors with the wider metropolitan area.
İzmir currently has 5 tram lines. Further information is available in the Lines tab.
The tramways are operated by İzmir Metro A.Ş., which also operates the city’s metro. İzmir Metropolitan Municipality owns the municipal tram network and is responsible for its development.
- Tram İzmir — official tram information, including routes, timetables and service announcements.
- İzmir Metro A.Ş. — the operator’s official website, covering metro and tram services.
- İzmir Metropolitan Municipality — wider public transport information and updates on transport development projects.
İzmir’s tramway history dates to the late nineteenth century, when horse-drawn services developed alongside the city’s expanding port and waterfront. Routes served the quays between Konak and Punta, now Alsancak, and extended westwards towards Göztepe. These tramways provided local transport through a city whose growth was closely associated with trade and shipping.
A separate horse-drawn network subsequently developed in Karşıyaka, on the northern side of the gulf. Its routes connected the ferry landing with surrounding neighbourhoods, establishing an early relationship between tram and ferry services that remains an important feature of İzmir’s public transport today.
Electric tram services began between Konak and Güzelyalı on 18 October 1928, replacing horse traction on the Göztepe corridor. Electrification was not extended to every part of the earlier network, and horse-drawn services continued elsewhere for a time.
During the following decades, road transport increasingly took over the work of the older tramways. The Konak–Güzelyalı electric line made its final journeys on 7 June 1954, as the city moved towards trolleybus and motor-bus operation. This brought İzmir’s original electric tramway era to an end.
Modern trams returned as part of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality’s programme to expand rail transport and improve connections with the metro, suburban railway and ferries. The initial project comprised separate tramways in Karşıyaka and Konak, serving opposite sides of the gulf.
The construction and vehicle procurement tender was held in February 2014, covering both lines and a fleet of 38 trams. Construction began in 2015. The new system introduced modern low-floor vehicles and predominantly reserved track, with substantial sections following the city’s coastal streets and boulevards.
The Karşıyaka tramway opened for passenger trial operation on 11 April 2017, restoring tram travel to the northern side of the gulf. The approximately 8.8-kilometre route served the waterfront through Karşıyaka and Bostanlı and continued towards Mavişehir. Full commercial operation followed on 1 July 2017.
The Konak tramway began passenger trial services on 24 March 2018, with commercial operation starting on 2 July 2018. Its approximately 12.8-kilometre route linked Fahrettin Altay with Halkapınar, serving the southern waterfront, Konak and Alsancak. Together, the two lines established trams as a significant part of the city’s public transport network once again.
Construction of the Çiğli tramway began in 2021, extending the northern network beyond the Karşıyaka corridor. The project included a bridge across the ring road and brought tram services to residential neighbourhoods, hospital and university facilities, and the Atatürk Organised Industrial Zone.
The line opened for passenger services on 27 January 2024, initially offering free travel before paid operation began on 19 February 2024. Its opening added a third principal tramway corridor to İzmir’s network and widened the role of trams from coastal transport to serving major employment and education destinations inland.
İzmir currently has 5 tram lines, which are listed below.
| Line | Description |
|---|---|
| Green | The Karşıyaka Green line runs between Alaybey andlamingo via Karşıyaka İskele, Bostanlı İskele and Mavişehir. |
| Orange | The Karşıyaka Orange line runs between Ataşehir and Mavişehir via Çevreyolu. |
| Konak | The Konak line runs between Fahrettin Altay and Halkapınar via Göztepe, Konak İskele and Alsancak Gar. |
| Red | The Çiğli Red line is a circular route running anti-clockwise from Flamingo via Çiğli Bölge Hastanesi, Katip Çelebi Üniversitesi and İAOSB Müdürlüğü. |
| Blue | The Çiğli Blue line is a circular route running clockwise from Flamingo via İAOSB Müdürlüğü, Evka-5 and Çiğli Bölge Hastanesi. |
İzmir’s tramways use 750 V DC overhead electrification, with power collected through roof-mounted pantographs. The routes run predominantly at street level, combining reserved track alongside roads with junction crossings and sections integrated into the urban streetscape. Grassed track is a distinctive feature of parts of the coastal network.
The system comprises two physically separate networks. The Konak tramway serves the southern side of the gulf, while Karşıyaka and Çiğli form a connected network to the north. The Çiğli connection includes a dedicated bridge across the ring road, providing access from the coastal tramway to the inland residential and industrial districts.
Track arrangements vary along the routes. On parts of the Konak tramway, the tracks for opposite directions follow separate alignments, including sections around the central streets and Alsancak. The Çiğli network includes a substantial loop served in opposite directions, while the Karşıyaka network incorporates the short branch to Ataşehir.
Separate depot and workshop facilities support the two networks. The Konak facility is at Halkapınar, while the Karşıyaka facility is in Ataşehir, in the Çiğli district. These provide accommodation and maintenance facilities for the tram fleet.
The fleet comprises 38 Hyundai Rotem low-floor articulated trams, manufactured at Eurotem’s Adapazarı plant in Türkiye. They were acquired for the original Karşıyaka and Konak projects and form the fleet used across the modern tram network, including Çiğli. Each tram consists of five articulated sections.
The vehicles are approximately 32.2 metres long and 2.65 metres wide. Each provides 48 seats, with a quoted total capacity of 285 passengers based on a standing density of six passengers per square metre. The operator lists a total traction power of 480 kW, supplied through eight AC traction motors.
The trams are bidirectional, with a driving cab at each end and four passenger doorways on each side. This allows them to reverse at termini without requiring turning loops and to serve platforms on either side. Low-floor accommodation supports accessible boarding, while air conditioning provides passenger comfort during İzmir’s hot summers.
The exterior styling was developed specifically for İzmir, using wave-inspired graphics to reflect the city’s maritime setting. Large windows provide views along the waterfront sections and bring natural light into the passenger accommodation.
İzmir Metropolitan Municipality has developed proposals for a tramway linking Bostanlı İskele with Örnekköy, via Girne Boulevard and Yeni Girne. The planned route would share part of the existing tram corridor before turning inland towards the Örnekköy urban regeneration area, extending tram access to neighbourhoods beyond the coastal route.
The municipality describes a route of approximately 5.5 kilometres with nine stops. Detailed designs received approval from the national Directorate General of Infrastructure Investments in February 2024. The municipal project update identified an application for inclusion in the national investment programme as the next step.
As of November 2026, no confirmed construction start or opening date has been identified. The scheme therefore remains a proposed addition to the network, with its delivery timetable still uncertain.