New Metro Line in Istanbul Boosts City’s 2020 Olympic Bid

The organisers of the Istanbul 2020 Olympic Games bid have unveiled a new metro line that will link the proposed Olympic Park to the centre of the city.

The 16.5km-long line will lower the travel time between the Park and the main bus terminal in Esenler to eight minutes and can carry 70, sale 000 people an hour.

Istanbul 2020 have promised to keep the average Olympic Village-to-venue time for athletes at 16 minutes and the new metro line is a step towards this.

Hasan Arat, Chairman of the Istanbul 2020 Bid Committee said: “The construction of this metro line is an historic undertaking and underlines how serious Istanbul 2020 is about delivering an exceptional Games platform for everyone; athletes, fans and the Olympic family.

“Istanbul is the fifth most visited destination on the planet so we have a robust transport network in place, but a thriving city needs constant improvement and Istanbul 2020 recognises that.”

Istanbul 2020 is battling with Tokyo and Madrid to host the Olympic Games in 2020.

They will find out who the International Olympic Committee (IOC) prefer in September.