1873 | The Haydarpaşa - İzmit Railway
The Haydarpaşa-İzmit Railway, which opened to traffic on May
3, 1873, is the first railway built with state resources in Ottoman lands.
The Haydarpaşa-İzmit Railway, which opened for service on
May 3, 1873, was the first railway built with state resources in Ottoman lands.
In the construction of the line, sea transportation was also used to facilitate
it. For this purpose, the Bostancı, Pendik, Eskihisar, Diliskelesi and İzmit
piers were strengthened and used. The line, which was operated by the state for
approximately 7 years, was later leased to the British. The line, which
operated under British administration for eight and a half years, was later
taken from the British by force and given to the Germans in order to extend it
to Ankara.
As a result of many diplomatic activities, with a decree
issued on September 24, 1888, the construction and operation privilege of the
Anatolian Railways was given to Alfred von Kaulla on behalf of Deutsche Bank.
(Ortaylı,
1981:95). The contract and loan agreement between the two
parties was signed on October 4, 1888. Deutsche
Bank also purchased the Haydarpaşa-İzmit line from the
Ottoman Empire for 6 million Francs
(Özyüksel, 1988). In the document in the British Archives, it is stated that the Germans paid the Turks £240,000 (FO 78/4265).
Under the management of the Germans, the line began to
advance from Istanbul to the interior of Anatolia. The existing
Haydarpaşa-İzmit Railway Line was made compatible with the extensions to be
made later. Afterwards, on June 2, 1890, the 40 km long İzmit-Adapazarı line
was opened and Bilecik was reached on May 15, 1891. After 16 tunnels, many
bridges, 180 km of hills were cut and 485 km of rails were laid, the first
train reached Ankara on December 27, 1892.
The route of the line was prepared by engineers assigned by
the Ministry of Public Works in 1870.
Technical officer Mojel Bey conducted two surveys with the
committee he headed and later personally undertook the supervision during the
construction (Öztürk, 1987). The survey cost for the line, which was calculated
to be 75 km in the first survey, was determined as 93,750 kuruş (İ.DH
613/42714). According to the tender document dated June 1, 1870, the line
length was increased to 90 km in the second survey and the survey cost was
increased to 180,000 kuruş. This request was accepted by the Ministry of Public
Works and thus the survey of the line was completed (Öztürk, 1987).
Construction of the line began on the final route determined and based on these
costs.
The difference in distance and cost between the first and second surveys is striking. The route planned in the first survey is inland from the coastline and passes through a high location above the sea, which was also used as a caravan route in the past. This route, which is shorter as the crow flies, has nothing to do with the sea route. Therefore, it is shorter than a line passing along the coastline. The route determined in the second survey passes along the seaside, is longer than the line in the first survey, is rugged and winding. For this reason, the cost has also increased. The route of the current line can be seen in Stations include Haydarpaşa, Kızıltoprak, Erenköy, Bostancı, Kartal, Pendik, Tuzla, Gebze, Diliskelesi, Tavşancıl, Hereke, Darıca and İzmit.
In the construction of this line, which is very close to the
sea and even built on the coastline, it was planned to build a number of piers
and docks for the transportation of materials by sea (Özyüksel, 1988). The
piers whose construction (or repair) was completed before the railway are:
Bostancıbaşı (Bostancı), Pendik, Eskihisar, Diliskelesi and İzmit.
REFERENCES
Earle, E. M. (1972). The Battle of Baghdad Railway. Kasım Yargıcı (Translator). Istanbul: Milliyet.
Ete, M. (1935). Transport Economics. Istanbul: Selamet.
Issawi, C. (1980). Economic History of Turkey (1800-1914). London: The University of Chicago
Khairallah, S. (1991). Railways In The Middle East, 1856-1948 (Political And Economic Background). Beirut: Librairie Du Liban.
Ortaylı, İ. (1981). German Influence in the Ottoman Empire During the Reign of Abdulhamid II. Ankara: Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences
Öztürk, C. (1987). Haydarpaşa – İzmit Line. (Unpublished Master's Thesis) . Marmara University / Institute of Social Sciences, Istanbul.
Özyüksel, M. (1988) Anatolian and Baghdad Railways in the Development Process of Ottoman-German Relations. Istanbul: Arba.
Quataert, D. (1977). Limited Revolution The Impact of the Anatolian Railway on Turkish Transportation. The Business History Review. 51(2). 139-160.
SOURCE: Haydarpaşa-İzmit Demiryolu ve İskelelerle İlişkisi By ihsan seddar kaynar 2015, Sayı 12, TEMMUZ 2015 (Özel Sayı)
The Haydarpaşa-İzmit Railway, which was opened to traffic on May 3, 1873, played an important role in opening up Istanbul to Anatolia. This line, which would later be called the Anatolian Railways, would first be extended to Eskişehir, then to Ankara, and then to Konya. This study will focus on the construction process of the Haydarpaşa-İzmit Railway, and discuss how the line was technically constructed and the role of the seaway in the construction process, based on the existence of some stations that were also piers. Railways are generally functional in areas where waterways or transportation are inadequate. In this sense, it is also noteworthy that the Haydarpaşa-İzmit Railway was built parallel to (and very close to) the sea.
DOCUMENTS FROM THE ARCHIVE
There are very important and valuable studies on the Haydarpaşa-İzmit Railway using documents from the Ottoman Archives (Öztürk, 1987) and documents from the German Archives (Özyüksel, 1988). Here, documents accessed in the British Archives were used by making use of previous studies. Thus, the study, which starts with the fact that some stations of the Haydarpaşa-İzmit Railway, which has a very important place in our railway history, were piers, will also discuss what happened during the eight and a half years it was rented to the British.
ROUTE AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE LINE
ROUTE AND PIER
Stations The route of the line was prepared by engineers assigned by the Ministry of Public Works in 1870. Technical officer Mojel Bey conducted two surveys with the committee he headed and later personally undertook the supervision duties during the construction (Öztürk, 1987). The survey cost for the line, which was calculated to be 75 km in the first survey, was determined as 93,750 kuruş (İ.DH 613/42714). According to the supply note dated June 1, 1870, the line length was increased to 90 km in the second survey and the survey cost was increased to 180,000 kuruş. This request was accepted by the Maabir Administration and thus the exploration of the line was completed (Öztürk, 1987). The construction of the line was started from the last determined route and these costs
DISTANCE BETWEEN THE EXPLORATION
The distance and cost difference between the first and second explorations is striking. The route planned in the first exploration passes through a place inside the coastline and high above the sea, which was also used as a caravan route in the past. This route, which is shorter as the crow flies, has nothing to do with the sea route. Therefore, it is shorter than a line passing along the coastline. The route determined in the second exploration passes along the seaside, is longer than the line in the first exploration, is rugged and winding. Therefore, the cost has also increased.
MATERIAL SHIPMENT
The stations include Haydarpaşa, Kızıltoprak, Erenköy, Bostancı, Kartal, Pendik, Tuzla, Gebze, Diliskelesi, Tavşancıl, Hereke, Darıca and İzmit. In the construction of this line, which was built very close to the sea and even on the coastline, it was planned to build a number of piers and docks for the transportation of materials by sea. (Özyüksel, 1988). The piers whose construction (or repair) was completed before the railway are as follows: Bostancıbaşı (Bostancı), Pendik, Eskihisar, Diliskelesi and İzmit.
COMMERCIAL MOBILITY
There was commercial movement from Dil Pier to the opposite shore before the railway. It is also known that Tavşancıl Pier was a place used to transport the agricultural products of the surrounding villages to Istanbul. İzmit Pier was built much earlier. It is mentioned in many historical texts and is used effectively. It is the first place where caravans coming from Anatolia to Istanbul reached the sea. However, since İzmit Pier was open to storms, sea transportation was disrupted depending on the weather conditions (Ortaylı, 1981). A pier was also built in Haydarpaşa, and if it did not meet the need, it was renewed and enlarged many times in the future. These small piers, which were very important for the surrounding villages and settlements, could be considered ineffective because they were very close to Istanbul. However, in addition to being used for material transportation in the construction of the railway, these piers were also used as stations and gained importance.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE LINE
This line, which is 1,455 meters wide, will be a total of 92
km from Haydarpaşa to İzmit. The length of the line is given differently in
each source. The most commonly used values are
90, 92 and 93 km. Although the most important reason for this is the confusion
in converting the length measurements used to each other, the most important
reason is that the Ottoman State built the line with its own resources. If it
had been built with the kilometer guarantee method, the length of the line
could have been referred to as a fixed value. The kilometer guarantee is the
method of estimating the revenue per kilometer of the line, taking the
remaining amount from the state and giving the excess revenue to the state
(Ete, 1835:90).
CONSTRUCTION STARTED FROM 3 BRANCHES
In the report prepared by Mr. Mojel, it is written that the line was divided into three and each part was put out to tender to a different contractor (İ.DH 643/44706). Separate contracts were signed between the Ministry of Public Works and the contractors for the constructions given as lump sum method. Three separate contractors started construction from three separate branches for the construction of the Haydarpaşa-İzmit Line (Öztürk, 1987), some parts were delayed due to difficulties in the terrain (Özyüksel, 1988), some parts were finished earlier and when necessary, military labor was used.
HAYDARPAŞA-TUZLA
Although the railway line was built in three separate branches, Haydarpaşa-Tuzla, Tuzla-Tavşancıl and Tavşancıl-İzmit, construction began in 1872 from the villages of Gebze and Darıca (İ.DH 654/45469). The Haydarpaşa-Tuzla section was planned to be 35 km long and was built by Engineer Monsieur Dö Stive for 1,400,000 Francs. 700 workers and 200 pack mules worked on this line and it was completed in approximately 10 months and opened for use on October 4, 1872. Those who completed their services in this section were given a 31,710 kuruş atiyye-i seniyye (İ.DH 657/45728).
SOLDIERS WERE EMPLOYED
The Tuzla-Tavzancil section was planned to be 26 km and was built by the contractor Bastilika at a unit price of 45,000 francs per kilometer. It was undertaken that this section would be completed in 10 months, like the Haydarpasa-Tuzla section. Starting from the Tuzla Bridge, only the soil leveling of the 10 km section was given to Monsieur Grachnik at a unit price of 14,000 francs per kilometer to be delivered in 4 months. Contractors did not apply for the tender of a 12 km section in this section due to the steep and rocky terrain, and the Haydarpasa-Izmit Line was completed with a delay because of this section. (Özyüksel, 1988) Since the terrain was difficult enough and the conditions were unfavorable in the remaining 4 km section, the Ministry of Public Works employed soldiers to reduce the cost (Öztürk, 1987). The 31 km section from Tavşancıl to İzmit was given to Monsieur Eckerlin at a unit price of 32,500 Francs per kilometer, including all works, and to be completed in 9 months. Around 2000 workers worked here.
LAYING THE LINE:
The railway's sleeper needs were provided from the forests in the İzmit region (İ.DH 643/44706). A Belgian company won the tender for all the other necessary technical materials (such as railway rails, wagons and locomotives) worth around 4-5 million Francs. These materials were ordered from Belgium in December 1871 (HR.İD 1236). Due to the high bid price, the company also gifted a wagon worth 30,000 Francs (Öztürk, 1987). The orders were completed in 1872 and the relevant people, especially the director of the factory in Belgium, were given medals (İ.HR 257/15390).
2 LINE STARTING OPERATION
OPERATION OF THE LINE:
In 1871, Sultan Abdülaziz gave up granting privileges to foreigners due to increasing foreign debts and abuses of previous privileges, and decided that the railways would be built by the state and entirely with domestic capital (Öztürk, 1987). For this reason, direct state resources were used from the day the first digging was made on the Haydarpaşa-İzmit line until 1880. The Haydarpaşa-İzmit Railway line continuously suffered losses from the time it was opened to transportation until the time it was leased to the British. There is no direct data on the extent of this damage in the Ottoman Archives, but information supporting this has been found.
EUROPEAN SIDE
The lack of harmony between the means of transportation played a major role in the line's loss. The freight and passengers on the train coming from İzmit to Haydarpaşa could not find the necessary means to cross to the European side when they arrived in Haydarpaşa. When they arrived in Haydarpaşa in the evening, they were waiting for the next day to cross the Bosphorus. For this reason, in 1873, it was decided to operate ferries between Haydarpaşa pier and Istanbul in accordance with the train departure times (A.MKT.MHM 445/29). Harmony between train and ferry times was only possible the following year. (A.}MKT.MHM.466/23). In order for the train coming from İzmit to operate regularly, two of the Aziziye Ferries were allocated to Haydarpaşa in 1874 (A.}MKT.MHM.468/66).
CRIMEAN WAR
The Crimean War, which started after the line started
operating, and the subsequent bankruptcy of the state were the two most
important factors that negatively affected the operation of this line at a
macro level. The payment of the debts taken during the construction (especially
the preferred local financing or domestic debt) by the treasury also became
impossible with the bankruptcy of the state in 1875 (Öztürk, 1987). As a
result, for approximately seven years, between 1873 and 1880, the state operated
this line itself and suffered losses every year.
The Old İzmit Train Station Area, located on İstasyon Street in Kozluk District, is 21 acres and its plan was drawn by the German Otto Ritter, and the structures within the area were built between 1873 and 1910. The historical Train Station witnessed the welcoming ceremonies of Atatürk and many important statesmen.
https://www.kocaeligazetesi.com.tr/foto/1541610/haydarpasa-izmit-demiryolu
READ MORE: Ankara’ya Demiryoluyla Göçler ve İskan Siyaseti (1890-1910) By ihsan seddar kaynar
The Anatolian Railway began running between Ankara and Haydarpaşa in Istanbul via İzmit and Eskişehir in early 1893, making transportation from Istanbul to the interior of Anatolia very easy. In late 1892, before the railroad was opened, policymakers prepared official reports on the resettlement of migrants along the rail route from Eskişehir to Ankara; and made regulations accordingly. This study examines the route of this migration, which first run to the port of İzmit by sea and then reached Ankara by rail. This article discusses the politics of resettlement, and the conditions of migrants settled on the railway route during the twenty-year period between 1890 and 1910, when the Balkan Wars provoked mass migration to Anatolia from the Balkans.
No comments:
Post a Comment