Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Adil Karaismailoğlu inspected the Sabiha Gökçen Airport Rail System Connection (Metro construction).
Karaismailoğlu, who made an evaluation speech here, stated that railway works are continuing feverishly throughout the country and said that these works show the importance given by the government to transportation and railway network.
Karaismailoğlu said:
“The region we are in is Sabiha Gökçen Airport. We are inspecting the construction site of the 7.5-kilometer urban metro line starting from Pendik Tavşantepe Metro Station and ending at Sabiha Gökçen Airport. We have 4 stations on the metro line between Pendik Tavşantepe and Sabiha Gökçen Airport. Hopefully, we aim to complete the work and put it into service and carry passengers towards the end of 2021. Our work continues in this direction.
As you know, Pendik Tavşantepe Station is a part of Kartal Metro Line. A citizen getting on from Kadıköy will travel to Sabiha Gökçen Airport without a transfer. If the connection from Pendik Marmaray Station to Sabiha Gökçen is completed in a short time, which is being done by the municipality, a passenger coming from Ankara via Marmaray will be able to reach Sabiha Gökçen Airport by metro.”
“Our financing and tender works are ongoing”
Reminding that important work is being carried out on railways and high speed train lines all over Turkey, Minister Karaismailoğlu said that they will commission the Sivas line before the end of the year.
Karaismailoğlu said, “We will put Konya Karaman line into operation and carry passengers. In addition, work is ongoing on Ankara-İzmir, Bursa-Yenişehir-Osmaneli, Adana-Mersin-Osmaniye-Gaziantep high speed train lines. There are lines for which we have completed the project, and our financing and tender works for them are ongoing.”
Karaismailoğlu stated that the work on the Gebze-Sabiha Gökçen Airport-Gavuz Sultan Selim Bridge-Istanbul Airport-Halkalı line is ongoing, and that they are in an effort to integrate major lines with urban lines.
Karaismailoğlu said, “Our work continues rapidly in line with our 2023 and 2025 targets of the railway networks by achieving the works we have achieved on the roads and airways as soon as possible on the railways.”
“We have made progress, but unfortunately it is slow”
Karaismailoğlu stated that international air traffic has been activated within the scope of normalization steps following the coronavirus pandemic and said that they are doing the necessary work to accelerate the normalization process.
Karaismailoğlu said, “On the one hand, our Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Health are working intensively. Negotiations and diplomacy continue. We have reached a certain stage, but unfortunately it is progressing slowly. Hopefully, we are doing our best to speed it up as soon as possible. Of course, our efforts alone are not enough. The other side must also react positively to our efforts. I believe that we will overcome this process in a short time.”
Stating that there was a disruption in the 2nd runway of Sabiha Gökçen Airport due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Karaismailoğlu said, “We are trying to finish as soon as possible without disturbing our citizens. As you know, our sector was the least affected sector during this Covid process. We have taken all our measures, our work continues by paying attention to masks, distance and hygiene. There is no problem in the works there, they continue. God willing, we will finish as soon as possible.”
Minister Karaismailoğlu made consultations with the authorities at the central construction site in Tavşantepe after the Sabiha Gökçen Airport Rail System Connection inspection.
Karaismailoğlu was accompanied by Pendik Mayor Ahmet Cin and other officials during his visits and inspections.
Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/turkiye/sabiha-gokcen-havalimani-2021de-metroya-kavusuyor/1897129
