Istanbul Haydarpaşa Terminal

İSTANBUL HAYDARPAŞA
TCDD
Haydarpaşa Terminus
Location	Haydarpaşa Gar sk, Haydarpaşa, İstanbul, Turkey
Coordinates	40°59′46″N 29°01′07″E / 40.996227°N 29.018636°E / 40.996227; 29.018636Coordinates: 40°59′46″N 29°01′07″E / 40.996227°N 29.018636°E / 40.996227; 29.018636
Owned by	TCDD
Platforms	7
Tracks	11
Connections	İETT Bus, Ferry service
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Parking	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Status	Temporarily closed for upgrades
Station code	1560
History
Opened	1872
Closed	19 June 2013
Rebuilt	1909, 2013-2016(?)
Electrified	1969 (25 kV, 50 Hz AC)
Services
Preceding station   Turkish State Railways   Following station Terminus Haydarpaşa-Gebze Line Söğütlüçeşme toward Pendik

Istanbul Haydarpaşa Terminal or Haydarpaşa Terminus (Turkish: Haydarpaşa Garı) is a railway terminal in Istanbul. Until 2012 the station was a major intercity, regional and commuter rail hub as well as the busiest railway station in Turkey. Haydarpaşa, along with Sirkeci Terminal (on the other side of the Bosphorus), are Istanbul's two intercity and commuter railway terminals. As of 19 June 2013 all train service to the station has been indefinitely suspended due to the rehabilitation of the existing line for the new Marmaray commuter rail line. The station building however still houses the headquarters for District 1 of the State Railways.

The station building, built in 1909 by the Anatolian Railway (CFOA) as the western terminus of the Baghdad and Hedjaz railways, has become a symbol of Istanbul and Turkey and is famous throughout the Middle East.

Haydarpaşa is situated on an embankment over the Bosphorus just south of the Port of Haydarpaşa and is slightly north from central Kadıköy. Until the suspension of rail service, ferry service was available to Eminönü, Karaköy and Kadıköy from the station's ferry dock.

The closure of the station has been subject to a lot of controversy. As it is unclear if Haydarpaşa will be re-opened to rail service once the Marmaray project is complete, many claim that the Turkish government is planning to sell the historic railway station along with the port and turn it into a residence/luxury resort.

İstanbul was the capital of the Ottoman Empire as well as the largest city in the empire. İstanbul was a major economic and cultural hub. However, İstanbul had no rail links, so in 1871 Sultan Abdülaziz ordered a rail line to be built from Haydarpaşa to İzmit. Haydarpaşa station opened in 1872, when the railway reached Gebze. In 1888 the Anatolian Railway (CFOA) took over the line and the station. Since the station was built next to the Bosphorus, freight trains would unload at Haydarpaşa and the freight would be transferred to ships. Haydarpaşa station saw its first regular passenger service in 1890: a daily train from Haydarpaşa to İzmit. In 1892 the CFOA built a line to Ankara and shortly after a daily train ran between the two cities.