Tünel And The Birth Of Istanbul’s Underground Railway

Istanbul’s Tünel is a short railway with an outsized place in transport history. Running beneath the steep streets between Karaköy and Beyoğlu, it opened in 1875 and became the first underground railway in continental Europe. Its 573-metre route is brief by modern standards, yet it solved a serious urban problem: moving people up and down one of Istanbul’s most difficult hills.

For Australian visitors, Tünel offers a different way to understand public transport. It is older than Melbourne’s City Loop, Sydney’s modern metro and Brisbane’s current rail expansions, but it remains part of everyday city movement. The line links a ferry interchange, a historic commercial district and İstiklal Avenue in a journey that takes roughly 90 seconds.

A steep shortcut between Galata and Pera

During the nineteenth century, Galata sat close to the Golden Horn while Pera, the district now generally associated with Beyoğlu, occupied higher ground. The slope between them was busy with merchants, workers, diplomats and visitors. Walking uphill was tiring, and horse-drawn transport faced congestion and difficult gradients.

French engineer Eugène-Henri Gavand recognised the opportunity for a railway inside the hill. He proposed an underground funicular after observing the volume of people travelling between the port and the upper district. The Ottoman government granted a concession in 1869, construction began in 1871, and the route was engineered as an inclined railway rather than a conventional underground line with trains travelling independently.

The project reflected Istanbul’s position as a commercial and diplomatic centre. Galata connected the city to shipping and international trade, while Pera contained hotels, embassies, shops and entertainment venues. A fast vertical link supported both districts and reduced dependence on narrow, crowded streets.

Victorian engineering beneath Istanbul

Tünel opened to the public in January 1875, following an official inauguration. At the time, London’s Metropolitan Railway had already opened in 1863, which is why Tünel is often described as the world’s second-oldest underground railway. Its more precise identity is an underground funicular: two cars were connected by a cable and moved in opposite directions, balancing each other on the steep incline.

The original system used a stationary steam engine to operate the cable. Early carriages were open-sided and had separate compartments, reflecting nineteenth-century ideas about social class and passenger comfort. Gas lighting helped illuminate the underground stations and tunnel, while the short route made frequent service practical.

The line’s early operation was not entirely smooth. An accident in 1875, involving a broken cable and a train running through a buffer, exposed the risks of new mechanical transport. No passengers died, but the event encouraged closer attention to safety and operating procedures. Tünel resumed service and became a dependable part of Istanbul’s urban life.

Electrification arrived in 1910, removing the need for steam power and modernising the railway. Later rebuilding replaced the original rolling stock and upgraded the stations. The basic geography, however, remained unchanged: one lower station at Karaköy and one upper station at Beyoğlu.

From isolated shortcut to integrated network

Tünel was created before Istanbul had a comprehensive metro system. Its purpose was local and sharply defined, unlike today’s long-distance rail corridors crossing the metropolitan area. Passengers used it to avoid the hill, then continued their journeys on foot, by tram, ferry or other surface transport.

That role still matters. Karaköy is a major interchange near the waterfront, with ferry services and connections towards Eminönü, the Bosphorus and the historic peninsula. At the upper end, Tünel reaches the southern end of İstiklal Avenue, a pedestrian-focused boulevard lined with shops, galleries, restaurants and historic buildings. The nearby nostalgic tram is slower and more visible, while Tünel is the efficient vertical connection.

The railway is now identified as F2 within Istanbul’s metro and funicular system. It is administered within the city’s wider public transport framework, where passengers may connect between ferries, buses, trams, metro lines and funiculars. Its modest length makes it easy to overlook on a network map, but its interchange value gives it importance far beyond its distance.

A living monument rather than a museum piece

Tünel’s appeal comes from the combination of history and usefulness. It is not a preserved railway that operates only for tourists; residents still use it to avoid the slope between the two districts. A passenger can arrive by ferry at Karaköy, enter the historic station, and emerge close to one of Istanbul’s most active pedestrian streets within minutes.

The experience differs from a large metro interchange. There are no long platforms or sprawling underground passageways. The journey is compact, and the line’s historic identity is visible in its station architecture and long association with Beyoğlu. Its surroundings also reveal layers of Istanbul’s past, including nineteenth-century European influence, Ottoman urban development and the commercial life of the modern republic.

For visitors from Australia, the comparison with heritage transport is useful. Melbourne’s trams often remain part of ordinary commuting while also functioning as a symbol of the city. Tünel has a similar dual character, although its technology and setting are distinctive. It is a transport service, a piece of industrial heritage and a practical shortcut at the same time.

What Tünel reveals about urban transport

Australian cities provide useful reference points for understanding why a short line can matter. Sydney’s Opal system encourages passengers to combine ferries, trains, buses and light rail, much as Istanbul’s network links Tünel with waterfront and street-level services. Melbourne’s myki system supports travel across trains, trams and buses, while the City Loop shows how underground infrastructure can reshape access to a busy central district.

Tünel also highlights the limitations of historic infrastructure. Its steep alignment and compact stations were designed long before contemporary accessibility expectations. Australia’s Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 have made step-free access, boarding arrangements and accessible information central considerations for public transport planning. Historic lines in Australian cities have also required gradual upgrades, but the legal and social expectations are now much clearer.

The contrast is especially relevant for travellers accustomed to modern Sydney Metro stations or newer sections of Melbourne’s network. Tünel should be approached as a historic funicular with a continuing public function, rather than judged by the standards of a newly built metro. Its value lies in how effectively an old engineering solution still fits the city’s geography.

Railway	Opening period	Main role	Character
Tünel, Istanbul	1875	Connects Karaköy and Beyoğlu	Underground funicular and heritage service
Melbourne City Loop	1981–1985	Distributes trains through central Melbourne	Large commuter rail loop
Sydney Metro	2019	High-capacity rapid transit across metropolitan corridors	Modern automated metro system

A practical way to appreciate Tünel is to use it as part of a short route rather than treating it as a standalone attraction: take a ferry to Karaköy, ride uphill to Beyoğlu, then continue along İstiklal Avenue while remembering that the same steep city problem has been solved there for nearly 150 years.