Ankara Metro Light Rail Development operated by EGO - Turkey
Ankara, the Turkish capital, first devised a project to build a light rail metro system in 1987, and was able to take advantage of a technical assistance package granted by the Canadian government to help its development. A master plan for light-rail development envisaged a 76km (50 mile) network, to be fully operational by 2015. The initial 14.6km (9.5 mile) route links Kizilay in the city centre with new and expanding residential areas of Batikent in the west, and running along the Ataturk Boulevard, which previously suffered badly from road-vehicle congestion, and so was a prime candidate for a substitute form of transport. The line is fully segregated from the road, however, and the high density rolling stock can accommodate up to 40,000 passengers per hour in each direction.