The modernisation of the suburban railway on the Asian side of Istanbul is part of the ongoing Marmaray Project. The 44.2 km commuter line, composed of twenty-seven stations was opened in 1872, during the period of Ottoman Sultan Abdulaziz. For the Ottomans the railway played a major role in the metamorphosis of the city/country. The establishment of railways marked a new era in the urban life of Ottoman towns and cities. The railway stations manifested modernisation, built to promote European ...