Part of the new metro route, which will connect Istanbul's Kabataş and Mahmutbey neighborhoods with a total of 19 stations, was inaugurated into the transport system on Monday with the attendance of officials from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB).

The opening of the 2-kilometer (1.24-mile) Mecidiyeköy-Fulya-Yıldız route was made operational, starting from Mecidiyeköy and ending after two stops, in the presence of crowds of citizens eager to use the route.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu joined the opening ceremony, stating that the IBB said ''Hello'' to the new year by inaugurating the Baltalimanı Biological Waste Water Treatment Plant on Jan. 1; the Mecidiyeköy-Fulya-Yıldız metro line, which they opened for service on Monday; and the Dudullu-Bostancı metro line, which will be open to citizens starting on Jan. 6.

The IBB said that the total investment cost of the three services stood at TL 20 billion ($1.07 billion).

The total length of the Kabataş-Mahmutbey line is 24.5 kilometers. The route, which consists of 19 stations, will have a capacity of 70,000 passengers in one direction. The route will pass through the districts of Beyoğlu, Beşiktaş, Şişli, Kağıthane, Eyüpsultan, Gaziosmanpaşa, Esenler and Bağcılar.

The Kabataş Station will be integrated into the Kabataş-Taksim-Funicular route and the Kabataş-Bağcılar tram route. The Yenikapı-Mecidiyeköy route will also be integrated with the said route. The final integration will be with the Otogar-Bağcılar-Kirazlı-Basakşehir-Olympic Metro route from Mahmutbey Station.