Travel on the new line will be free until June.

Construction began in April 2015 and civil works were carried out by Turkish contractor Gülermak.

Services are operated by a fleet of 17 low-floor LRVs supplied by the Eurotem joint venture of Hyundai Rotem and Turkish State Railways (TCDD) subsidiary Tüvsaş. The 32m-long five-section bidirectional LRVs will accommodate up to 285 passengers.

Izmir Metropolitan Municipality says it has received preliminary planning approval for an extension to Çiğli Izban suburban rail station and Katip Çelebi University. Construction is expected to begin later this year.