Türkiye: Istanbul North Rail Crossing Project

OBJECTIVE

To improve the cross-Bosphorus railway connectivity of Türkiye’s main national and intercontinental transport corridors.

DESCRIPTION

The Project will finance the construction of a 122 km double-tracked, electrified, and signalized greenfield railway line that bypasses the Istanbul Metropolitan Area and provides a high-capacity Bosphorus crossing connecting Çayırova (Asian side) to Çatalca (European side) via the Yavuz Sultan Selim (YSS) Bridge. The line will support passenger trains at 160 km/h and freight at 80–120 km/h, linking Istanbul Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) to Türkiye’s high-speed rail network.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INFORMATION

Applicable Policy and Categorization. The Project will be co-financed with the World Bank (WB) and other financiers. To support a harmonized approach to addressing environmental and social (ES) risks and impacts, and as permitted under AIIB’s Environmental and Social Policy (ESP), the WB Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) and relevant Environmental and Social Standards (ESSs) will apply to the Project in lieu of AIIB’s ESP. AIIB has reviewed the WB ESF and ESSs and is satisfied that they are consistent with the Bank’s Articles of Agreement and materially aligned with AIIB’s ESP, including the Environmental and Social Exclusion List (ESEL), and that appropriate monitoring procedures are in place. The WB has classified the Project as having Substantial ES risk, due to the nature, scale, and potential significance of its ES impacts. Given the Project’s large scale, extensive tunneling and civil works, land acquisition and labor-related risks, and the potential for significant ES impacts, the Project is considered equivalent to Category A under AIIB’s ESP. No Indigenous Peoples meeting the requirements of WB ESS7 have been identified within the Project’s area of influence. 

Environmental and Social Instruments. The Project will follow the Design-Build (D&B) procurement method. Accordingly, during preparation, ES instruments have been prepared for the entire Project based on pre-D&B contract technical designs. These instruments include: (a) an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), including an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP); (b) a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP); (c) Labor Management Procedures (LMP); (d) a Resettlement Framework (RF); and (e) an Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP). The ES instruments have been reviewed by the WB, AIIB, and other co-financiers, and disclosed by AYGM, the WB, and AIIB. During implementation, the selected D&B Contractors will update and finalize the relevant ES instruments, including a Biodiversity Management Plan (BMP) and a cumulative impact assessment (CIA), as well as prepare site-specific plans to reflect the final engineering designs and site-specific conditions, and will implement the required mitigation and monitoring measures. The updated and site-specific ES documents will be reviewed and cleared by the AYGM and the WB and AIIB where necessary. ES requirements for the D&B contractors, including pre-qualification and evaluation criteria, will be defined to ensure that contractors have the capacity and experience to finalize the ES documents and implement and manage ES risks and impacts effectively. 

Environmental Aspects. The Project is expected to generate positive environmental benefits by promoting a modal shift from road to rail, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and traffic congestion in the Istanbul Metropolitan Area. The alignment generally follows existing transport and infrastructure corridors to minimize environmental impacts. However, parts of the corridor are located near environmentally sensitive receptors, including forests, water protection zones, biodiversity-sensitive habitats, and protected areas. The ESIA confirmed that the Project does not intersect with any Critical Habitats, although areas of ecological value and species of conservation concern are present within the broader landscape. Design measures, including the use of existing transport corridors and the YSS Bridge crossing, have been incorporated to avoid significant habitat fragmentation and to minimize impacts on ecological functions and wildlife movement. Additional mitigation measures, including biodiversity management plans, wildlife crossings, habitat restoration, and monitoring-led adaptive management, will be implemented, as needed, during Project execution under the D&B procurement approach. Key construction-related environmental risks include the management of large volumes of excavated material from tunneling works, impacts on surface water and groundwater resources, noise, vibration, dust, waste management, traffic disruption, and occupational and community health and safety risks. Potential impacts on avifauna, nearby structures, and cultural heritage assets will be further assessed during the detailed design stage under the D&B procurement approach. Site-specific environmental management plans, including biodiversity and excavated material management plans, will be prepared and implemented by the D&B contractors in accordance with the ESMP and applicable requirements. Operational impacts are expected to relate mainly to noise, vibration, air quality, waste management, and rail operation-related safety risks. 

Social Aspects. The Project’s area of influence extends across multiple districts in Istanbul and Kocaeli and includes urban, peri-urban, and rural settlements. The main social risks and impacts relate to potential land acquisition and restrictions on land use, involuntary resettlement, and livelihood impacts. The Project design seeks to minimize land acquisition impacts by maximizing the use of the existing right-of-way, public land, tunnels, and viaducts. Given the D&B procurement modality, the final alignment, land requirements, and the location of auxiliary facilities will be confirmed in the detailed design. Preliminary assessments indicate that both public and private land parcels, as well as a limited number of structures, may be affected. A Resettlement Framework (RF), including an entitlement matrix and compensation principles consistent with the WB’s ESS5, has been prepared to guide the management of land acquisition, resettlement, and livelihood restoration impacts. Site-specific Resettlement Plans (RPs) and Livelihood Restoration Plans (LRPs), as required, will be prepared and implemented once the final design and the Project footprint are confirmed. Potential impacts on physical cultural resources have also been identified. A Cultural Heritage Management Plan (CHMP), including procedures for avoidance, protection, monitoring, and chance finds, has been prepared and incorporated into the ESMP. Additional risks relate to labor and working conditions, labor influx and worker accommodation, gender-based violence (GBV), sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment (SEA/SH), and community health and safety. An LMP, including a workers’ grievance mechanism, has been prepared to manage labor-related risks and to establish clear procedures for worker management, terms and conditions of employment, and grievance redress. D&B contractors will be required to prepare site-specific labor management and workers’ camp management plans, including Codes of Conduct addressing SEA/SH risks. A SEA/SH Action Plan will also be prepared during implementation. 

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), Labor, and Employment Conditions. The Project presents significant OHS and labor risks associated with tunneling works, viaduct and heavy civil construction, the operation of heavy machinery, the interface with existing transport corridors, and construction activities in densely populated urban areas. The Project is expected to engage a large, multi-tiered workforce, including subcontracted and migrant workers, creating additional risks related to labor influx, subcontractor management, worker accommodation, excessive working hours, and the consistent implementation of labor and OHS standards across contractors and subcontractors. The ESIA, ESMP, and LMP establish requirements for contractor OHS and labor management systems, including hazard identification and risk assessment, worker training, emergency preparedness, incident and near-miss reporting, performance monitoring, and worker grievance mechanisms. Measures are also included to ensure fair terms and conditions of employment, non-discrimination, compliance with applicable labor standards, and the management of SEA/SH risks through Codes of Conduct, worker awareness programs, and confidential reporting and response mechanisms. 

Stakeholder Engagement, Consultation, and Information Disclosure. A SEP has been prepared in accordance with the WB’s ESS10 to support inclusive, transparent, and continuous stakeholder engagement throughout the Project lifecycle. Stakeholder consultations were undertaken during Project preparation between May and August 2025. While stakeholders generally recognized the Project’s anticipated benefits in improving mobility and connectivity, they requested further information on implementation schedules and Project activities. Additional consultations and information disclosure activities will continue throughout implementation. The ES instruments, including the ESIA, ESMP, ESCP, RF, SEP, and LMP have been disclosed by AYGM and made available in March 2026 on AIIB’s website.^[1]

Project Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM).  A multi-tier Project GRM will be established in accordance with the WB’s ESF requirements to receive and facilitate resolution of Project-related concerns and grievances throughout implementation. The GRM will include multiple accessible channels for grievance submission, including in-person, telephone, email, and messaging platforms, and will incorporate confidential and survivor-centered procedures for handling SEA/SH-related complaints. Information on the GRM and available grievance channels will be disseminated through community outreach, public information materials, consultation activities, and notices at Project sites. The mechanism will include procedures for grievance registration, timely resolution, escalation, and appeals. 

Monitoring and Reporting Arrangement. AYGM will establish a dedicated ES team within the Project Implementation Unit (PIU). D&B contractors will be required to deploy qualified ES and OHS personnel, maintain incident and accident records, and report significant incidents to the WB, AIIB, and other co-financiers. ES performance will be monitored throughout Project implementation through regular reporting, site supervision, reviews, and corrective actions, in accordance with the ESCP and applicable ES instruments. D&B contractors will be responsible for implementing on-site ES monitoring in accordance with the ESMP and related sub-plans. Contractors will prepare regular ES monitoring reports and immediate incident notifications, as required under the ESCP and related instruments. AYGM’s PIU, supported by the Project Management Consultant and the Construction Supervision Consultant, will oversee and verify contractor compliance with ES requirements, and consolidate monitoring findings into semi-annual ES monitoring reports for the financiers based on an agreed format. AIIB, together with the WB, will conduct regular field monitoring missions. 

[1] AIIB. Türkiye: Istanbul North Rail Crossing Project.