Metro İstanbul hits record 3.3 million daily passengers

Metro İstanbul, a subsidiary of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, reached a historic daily passenger record on October 6, 2026, transporting 3,301,070 passengers. This milestone coincided with the 103rd anniversary of the Liberation of Istanbul, during which the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Council decided to provide free public transportation.

In addition to the overall record, five specific metro lines also achieved their highest-ever daily passenger counts:

• M5 Üsküdar-Sultanbeyli: 466,964 passengers • M4 Kadıköy-Sabiha Gökçen Airport: 408,948 passengers • M3 Bakırköy-Kayaşehir: 208,217 passengers • M8 Bostancı-Parseller: 112,191 passengers • M9 Ataköy-Olimpiyat: 110,498 passengers

The surge in ridership is attributed to the free transit policy and the start of the new academic year. Metro İstanbul General Manager Özhan Şenol noted that since 2019, the network has expanded significantly, with the number of lines increasing from 13 to 18 and the total line length growing from 154 kilometers to 245.75 kilometers.