Accessibility Services

Metro Istanbul adopts the principle of "everyone has the right to access all living spaces equally" in the rail system lines and Metro Istanbul continues its efforts to make the disabled individuals benefit from the services in the best possible way.

Accessibility has an important place among the rail systems service criteria. Metro Istanbul attaches great importance to having "Accessible Stations and Vehicles" on existing and newly constructed lines.

Metro Istanbul ensures that disabled people can easily aboard the vehicles and have safe journeys through the use of smoothly-functioning elevators and escalators, properly-inclined ramps conforming to the standards, routing signs, alternative information, tactile ground surface applications. Disabled passengers can travel in the railway network with their free travel cards.

Various improvements are being made in order to ease the access of disabled passengers on all lines served by Metro Istanbul. Elevators, escalators and ramps are available at the stations from street level to the platform area. Furthermore, to make sure disabled passengers can safely travel within our network, operators follow the location of the disabled people from the moment of their entrance until their departure and direct the station staff for help in case of need.

In the platform area, a sensible floor application has been made as a warning for visually impaired passengers to notice the rail line. There are also guide roads that direct the visually impaired passengers from the entrance of the station to the vehicle.

There are ramps inside and at the entrance of the stations that do not exceed 6% slope. In this way, disabled passengers can reach the doors of elevators without steps or thresholds. The ramp surfaces are made of non-slip floor material.

In addition to audio and visual notifications, Metro Istanbul elevators also have special notifications for visually impaired passengers using the Braille alphabet. There are free pass gates specially designed for disabled passengers in the turnstile passage areas of the stations.

All signs and signboards in our stations were designed by taking the needs of disabled passengers into account. All metro stations have landmarks that clearly indicate where the doors will open and close when the vehicle is stopped. Thanks to this practice, disabled passengers can get into the vehicle more quickly and comfortably.

Accessibility studies are also continuing on Metro Istanbul tram lines. With the transition to low-floor tram vehicles on T1 Line, all stations were lowered and ramps were built in the entrance areas in accordance with the relevant standards. There are ramps at the stations on T4 Line, which is operated by high-floor vehicles. There are also elevators at the underground stations that allow access to the platform area as well.