It was announced that the first phase of the Marmaray project consisting of four stations would go into service on October 29, 2013, the 90th anniversary of the foundation of the Turkish Republic.
Vožnja se je začela na postaji Ayrılıkçeşmesi (starejše ime za postajo İbrahimağa) na azijski strani in na razdalji približno 10 km na so na evropski strani prečkali Bospor.