The Tünel (English: Tunnel, designated as the F2 line on the Istanbul transport map[1]) is a historic underground funicular line in Istanbul, Turkey. It has two stations, connecting Karaköy and Beyoğlu. The tunnel runs uphill from near the confluence of the Golden Horn with the Bosphorus and is about 573 metres (1,880 feet) long.[2] Inaugurated on 17 January, 1875,[2] the Tünel is the second-oldest fully underground urban railway in the world, after the London Underground (1863) and oldest in continental Europe, pre-dating the Budapest Metro by 21 years.
In the second half of the 19th century the neighborhoods of Pera (modern day Beyoğlu) and Galata (modern day Karaköy) had become the financial and commercial heart of Constantinople (modern day Istanbul) and the Ottoman Empire. Many Ottoman and foreign companies, mostly banks and insurance companies, set up their headquarters in these two neighborhoods. Foreign embassies, hotels and commercial markets in Pera were located at the top of a steep hill while the stock exchange, banks and ports in Galata were at the bottom. Travelling between these two districts was challenging, since grades were as steep as 24%. The main street between these two areas, Yüksek Kaldırım (High Pavement) Avenue, saw an average of 40,000 people walking up and down it daily.[3]
In 1867 a French engineer, Eugène-Henri Gavand, went to Istanbul, (Constantinople) as a tourist.[3] During his visit, he was taken aback to see the number of people struggling up and down Yüksek Kaldırım Avenue. Gavand came up with the idea of building a funicular railway that would ascend and descend the hill and went back to France shortly after to prepare his project. He returned to Constantinople in February 1868 to present his project to the Sublime Porte. The railway would start from near Yüksek Kaldırım Avenue at a point close to the Galata Bridge in Galata.
On 10 June 1869 SultanAbdülaziz granted Gavand a concession to build the railway. He worked with shareholders in France to start a company to build the railway, but eventually the Prussian invasion of France made the formation of a French-based company impossible.
During the war, Gavand went to the United Kingdom and formed the Metropolitan Railway of Constantinople to develop the line. Construction began on 30 July 1871 but was delayed by conflicts between landowners and the company.[3] The tunnel was not completed until December 1874, [2] and finally opened for service on 17 January 1875.[2] Gavand was notably absent at the opening ceremony.[4]
The Metropolitan Railway company gained a fresh 75-year concession in 1904. In 1911, after some alterations, the rights to the Tünel were transferred to the new multinational consortium, Union Ottoman Société d'Intrepises Electriques à Constantinople. which encompassed the Tünel, the trams, and the Ottoman Joint Stock Electric Company.[5] In 1939 it was absorbed into the new IETT (İstanbul Elektrik Tramvay ve Tünel) transportation organization.[6]
In 1968 the Tünel was closed for renovation. In 1971 it reopened, having been modernised and electrified.[4] In 2007 the Tünel was restored again to strengthen its seismic resistance in a city prone to earthquakes[7]
Today, the short line is still a crucial component of the municipal transport network.
Description
The Tünel consists of a single brick-lined tunnel measuring 554.8 metres (1,820 ft) long, 6.7 metres (22 ft) wide and 4.9 metres (16 ft) high. It has one station at either end:
Karaköy — the lower station, located at the eastern end of Tersane Avenue
Tünel — the upper station on Tünel Square (Tünel Meydanı), located at the southern end of Istiklal Avenue
The upper station stands 61.55 metres (201.9 ft) above the lower one.
The gradient of the tunnel varies along its length from 2 percent to 15 percent. Originally built with two parallel tracks,[3] the modern Tünel has a single track with a passing loop in the middle, a short duplex section, where two trains pass side by side.[4]
Rolling stock
The original rolling stock consisted of two wooden two-car trains. One car was reserved for passengers, with its two classes provided divided into separate sections for men and women. The other car was used to transport goods, animals and carts. Motive power was provided by steam engines.[4]
The wooden carriages were replaced in 1971 with two electrified steel cars running on pneumatic tires over concrete tracks,[8] thus similarly to the rubber-tyred metro it could be called a rubber-tyred funicular.
In 2007 a new generation of a rolling stock was brought into operation. Today each car can carry 170 passengers and travels at a maximum speed of 22 km/h (14 mph). A trip from top to bottom takes about 1.5 minutes, with normal waiting time 3.5 minutes. [4] In 2021 the first female driver joined the staff of the Tünel.
^ abcdÇelik, Zeynep (1993). The remaking of Istanbul: portrait of an Ottoman city in the nineteenth century. University of California Press. pp. 96-98. ISBN978-0-520-08239-7.
^ abcdeEren Kayaoğlu, Adem Candaş, Y.Ziya Kocabal, C.Erdem İmark (2014-03-14). "Early Application of Underground Funicular 'Tunnel' in Istanbul" (PDF). İTÜ - Transport Tekniği Grubu. (PDF) from the original on 2017-12-05. Retrieved 2017-12-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
^"Tunel Company Changing Hands". İETT - Tunnel. Retrieved 2017-12-06.
^"Nationalization Of Tunel". İETT - Tunnel. Retrieved 2017-12-06.
^"The 1971 funicular". Funimag (26). September 27, 2005. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
^ abcdefGavand, Eugène-Henri (1876). Chemin de fer métropolitain de Constantinople, ou Chemin de fer souterrain de Galata à Péra, dit tunnel de Constantinople. Projet d'une nouvelle ville et d'un nouveau port de commerce à Constantinople (in French). Paris.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tünel.
İETT - Tunnel — the official portal (in English)
February 04, 2023
tünel, english, tunnel, designated, line, istanbul, transport, historic, underground, funicular, line, istanbul, turkey, stations, connecting, karaköy, beyoğlu, tunnel, runs, uphill, from, near, confluence, golden, horn, with, bosphorus, about, metres, feet, l. The Tunel English Tunnel designated as the F2 line on the Istanbul transport map 1 is a historic underground funicular line in Istanbul Turkey It has two stations connecting Karakoy and Beyoglu The tunnel runs uphill from near the confluence of the Golden Horn with the Bosphorus and is about 573 metres 1 880 feet long 2 Inaugurated on 17 January 1875 2 the Tunel is the second oldest fully underground urban railway in the world after the London Underground 1863 and oldest in continental Europe pre dating the Budapest Metro by 21 years TunelKarakoy station of the TunelOverviewOwnerIstanbul Metropolitan MunicipalityLine numberF2LocaleBeyoglu IstanbulTerminiKarakoy lower station Beyoglu upper station Stations2ServiceTypeFunicularOperator s IETTHistoryOpened17 January 1875TechnicalLine length573 m 1 880 ft Number of tracks1 with a passing loop CharacterUndergroundTrack gauge1 435 mm 4 ft 8 1 2 in Maximum incline15 Route mapLine F2BeyogluKarakoyThis diagram viewtalkeditIstanbul centre 1955 map showing the route of the Tunel Metrohan Building Tunel station on Tunel Square located at the southern end of Istiklal Avenue Contents 1 History 2 Description 3 Rolling stock 4 Gallery 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksHistory EditIn the second half of the 19th century the neighborhoods of Pera modern day Beyoglu and Galata modern day Karakoy had become the financial and commercial heart of Constantinople modern day Istanbul and the Ottoman Empire Many Ottoman and foreign companies mostly banks and insurance companies set up their headquarters in these two neighborhoods Foreign embassies hotels and commercial markets in Pera were located at the top of a steep hill while the stock exchange banks and ports in Galata were at the bottom Travelling between these two districts was challenging since grades were as steep as 24 The main street between these two areas Yuksek Kaldirim High Pavement Avenue saw an average of 40 000 people walking up and down it daily 3 In 1867 a French engineer Eugene Henri Gavand went to Istanbul Constantinople as a tourist 3 During his visit he was taken aback to see the number of people struggling up and down Yuksek Kaldirim Avenue Gavand came up with the idea of building a funicular railway that would ascend and descend the hill and went back to France shortly after to prepare his project He returned to Constantinople in February 1868 to present his project to the Sublime Porte The railway would start from near Yuksek Kaldirim Avenue at a point close to the Galata Bridge in Galata On 10 June 1869 Sultan Abdulaziz granted Gavand a concession to build the railway He worked with shareholders in France to start a company to build the railway but eventually the Prussian invasion of France made the formation of a French based company impossible During the war Gavand went to the United Kingdom and formed the Metropolitan Railway of Constantinople to develop the line Construction began on 30 July 1871 but was delayed by conflicts between landowners and the company 3 The tunnel was not completed until December 1874 2 and finally opened for service on 17 January 1875 2 Gavand was notably absent at the opening ceremony 4 The Metropolitan Railway company gained a fresh 75 year concession in 1904 In 1911 after some alterations the rights to the Tunel were transferred to the new multinational consortium Union Ottoman Societe d Intrepises Electriques a Constantinople which encompassed the Tunel the trams and the Ottoman Joint Stock Electric Company 5 In 1939 it was absorbed into the new IETT Istanbul Elektrik Tramvay ve Tunel transportation organization 6 In 1968 the Tunel was closed for renovation In 1971 it reopened having been modernised and electrified 4 In 2007 the Tunel was restored again to strengthen its seismic resistance in a city prone to earthquakes 7 Today the short line is still a crucial component of the municipal transport network Description EditThe Tunel consists of a single brick lined tunnel measuring 554 8 metres 1 820 ft long 6 7 metres 22 ft wide and 4 9 metres 16 ft high It has one station at either end Karakoy the lower station located at the eastern end of Tersane Avenue Tunel the upper station on Tunel Square Tunel Meydani located at the southern end of Istiklal AvenueThe upper station stands 61 55 metres 201 9 ft above the lower one The gradient of the tunnel varies along its length from 2 percent to 15 percent Originally built with two parallel tracks 3 the modern Tunel has a single track with a passing loop in the middle a short duplex section where two trains pass side by side 4 Rolling stock EditThe original rolling stock consisted of two wooden two car trains One car was reserved for passengers with its two classes provided divided into separate sections for men and women The other car was used to transport goods animals and carts Motive power was provided by steam engines 4 The wooden carriages were replaced in 1971 with two electrified steel cars running on pneumatic tires over concrete tracks 8 thus similarly to the rubber tyred metro it could be called a rubber tyred funicular In 2007 a new generation of a rolling stock was brought into operation Today each car can carry 170 passengers and travels at a maximum speed of 22 km h 14 mph A trip from top to bottom takes about 1 5 minutes with normal waiting time 3 5 minutes 4 In 2021 the first female driver joined the staff of the Tunel Gallery EditHistorical drawings Front page of the project booklet 9 Simplified profile of the tunnel 9 Initial arrangement for a tunnel section 9 Original train 9 Steam engine 9 Detailed profile of the tunnel 9 Photos Karakoy station with the tunnel portal Karakoy station in 2006 decorated in moresque style The tunnel between Beyoglu and Karakoy station source source source source source source source source source source Video of the funicular Beyoglu station Train at Beyoglu stationSee also EditIstanbul Kabatas Taksim funicular Istanbul Metro Istanbul modern tramways Istanbul nostalgic tramways Public transport in Istanbul List of funicular railwaysReferences Edit Istanbul Railway Systems map metro istanbul a b c d Tunnel IETT Retrieved 2014 04 25 a b c d Celik Zeynep 1993 The remaking of Istanbul portrait of an Ottoman city in the nineteenth century University of California Press pp 96 98 ISBN 978 0 520 08239 7 a b c d e Eren Kayaoglu Adem Candas Y Ziya Kocabal C Erdem Imark 2014 03 14 Early Application of Underground Funicular Tunnel in Istanbul PDF ITU Transport Teknigi Grubu Archived PDF from the original on 2017 12 05 Retrieved 2017 12 05 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint uses authors parameter link Tunel Company Changing Hands IETT Tunnel Retrieved 2017 12 06 Nationalization Of Tunel IETT Tunnel Retrieved 2017 12 06 Tunel Kronolojisi Tunel Chronology IETT Tunnel in Turkish Retrieved 2017 12 07 The 1971 funicular Funimag 26 September 27 2005 Retrieved 2009 07 19 a b c d e f Gavand Eugene Henri 1876 Chemin de fer metropolitain de Constantinople ou Chemin de fer souterrain de Galata a Pera dit tunnel de Constantinople Projet d une nouvelle ville et d un nouveau port de commerce a Constantinople in French Paris External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tunel IETT Tunnel the official portal in English Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tunel amp oldid 1132930315, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
