By rosebell
The 7.46 km underground extension will carry the existing A1 ANKARAY line eastwards from Dikimevi through Mamak to Natoyolu, adding eight stations at Abidinpaşa, Aşık Veysel, Tuzluçayır, General Zeki Doğan, Fahri Korutürk, Cengizhan, Akşemsettin and Natoyolu.
Ankara Metropolitan Municipality’s latest construction update, issued on 22 August 2026, confirmed that work is progressing simultaneously on tunnels, stations, utility diversions, rail infrastructure and precast tunnel lining segments.
One of the most significant forthcoming milestones will be the start of mechanised tunnelling. Shipment of the TBM from overseas has begun and preparations are continuing for its arrival, assembly and commissioning. Ankara Metropolitan Municipality currently expects the machine to become operational around the end of 2026.
Excavation is already taking place in the Tail Tunnel, or portal, area. Two tunnels with a combined length of approximately 420 m are being constructed here and around 100 m of excavation had been completed by the municipality’s latest update.
Substantial activity is also taking place at the stations. At Natoyolu, utility diversions and installation of 522 bored piles have been completed, while excavation of the station has reached approximately 20%. At Aksemsettin, utility relocation is complete and bored-pile construction has reached around 75%.
Further along the alignment, wastewater diversion works have been completed at Cengizhan Station, with relocation of gas, electricity and drinking-water infrastructure continuing.
Preparations for the railway and permanent tunnel lining are progressing alongside the underground civil works. More than 2,067 tonnes of rail required for the project have already been delivered to site, while manufacture of the precast concrete segments that will line the TBM-driven tunnels is under way.
The construction contract is being delivered by Gülermak for Ankara Metropolitan Municipality. Gülermak submitted a TRY14.0842 billion bid for the project in November 2024 and was formally notified of the tender result in January 2025. The company subsequently signed the construction contract in May 2025.
The project covers both construction of the extension and the associated electromechanical systems, including installation and commissioning.
International financing is supporting delivery of the scheme. Ankara Metropolitan Municipality secured EUR250 million from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Agence Francaise de Development, with EUR125 million provided by each institution.
According to the EBRD, the new line will be entirely underground, with its tunnels and stations generally located at depths of around 30–45 m below ground level. The bank estimates that the project will contribute towards providing safer and more reliable transport for a network serving up to 691,520 passengers per day.
The extension has been designed to integrate directly with Ankara’s existing rail network rather than operate as an isolated metro. From Natoyolu the route will pass through the densely populated Mamak district before joining the existing ANKARAY system at Dikimevi, providing improved rail access towards central Ankara.
Once operational, passengers will be able to continue along the existing ASTİ–Dikimevi corridor, with connections to Ankara’s wider metro and suburban rail networks. EBRD project documentation indicates that stations along the new extension are generally planned at intervals of around 700–900 m, with the longest distance between two stations approximately 1.27 km.
The Dikimevi–Natoyolu project represents a significant new chapter for Ankara’s underground railway development. With portal excavation advancing, station shafts taking shape, tunnel lining production under way and the TBM now moving towards the site, attention will increasingly turn to the start of the main bored tunnel drives.
