Buca railway station

Buca station (Turkish: Buca garı) was a railway station in İzmir, Turkey. Located in the Vali Rahmi Bey neighborhood of Buca, it was one of the oldest railway stations in Turkey. The station was originally opened by the Buca Branch Railway, a subsidiary of the Ottoman Railway Company, in 1872.

BUCA
The station in 2018, closed off with barbed wire fences.
General information
Location	Uğur Mumcu Cd. 58C, Vali Rahmi Bey Mah. 35380 Buca, İzmir Turkey
Coordinates	40.3859°N 28.1701°E / 40.3859; 28.1701
Owned by	Turkish State Railways
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Parking	No
History
Opened	1872
Closed	2006
Former services Preceding station Turkish State Railways Following station Efeler towards Alsancak Buca suburban Terminus Efeler towards Basmane Buca suburban

History

The construction of a 2.7 km (1.7 mi) railway from Şirinyer to Buca was considered as early as the late 1850s, but it wasn't until 1866 that plans were put into motion.^[1] Construction of the railway was approved on 7 January 1866 and the Buca Branch Railway (Turkish: Buca Şube Demiryolu) was formed. The railway was completed in 1870, but regular passenger service began two years later in 1872. A twice daily train operated from Alsancak station in İzmir to Buca, once in the morning and once in the evening.^[2] The station was used most by wealthy foreign business owners (Turkish: Levanten) who lived in Buca, but commuted to Alsancak for work, each day. The opening of the station greatly boosted the economy of Buca. In the mid 19th century, Buca was a relatively small residential village, but by the beginning of the 20th century it grew into a commuter town. The station was taken over by the Ottoman Railway Company, when the railway bought the Buca Branch Railway in 1902.^[3] The ORC was sold to the Turkish State Railways in 1935, which continued operating trains to Buca.^[4]

The railway to Buca, along with the station closed in 2006 due to the construction of the Şirinyer Tunnel. It was deemed too expensive to connect the Buca branch within the tunnel, so the railway was abandoned.

2006 station timetable

During the twilight of the station's career in 2006, Buca station saw four daily commuter trains, three to Alsancak and one to Basmane. The timetable for these trains is as listed.^[5]

Time	Destination	Frequency
06:53	Alsancak	Weekdays
07:54	Alsancak	Weekdays
17:45	Alsancak	Weekdays
18:34	Basmane	Weekdays

References

1. Atilla, A. Nedim (2002). İzmir Demiryolları (in Turkish). İzmir: İzmir Büyükşehir Belediyesi Kültür Yayını. p. 93. ISBN 975-18-0076-5.
2. Atilla, A. Nedim (2002). İzmir Demiryolları (in Turkish). İzmir: İzmir Büyükşehir Belediyesi Kültür Yayını. p. 94. ISBN 975-18-0076-5.
3. Atilla, A. Nedim (2002). İzmir Demiryolları (in Turkish). İzmir: İzmir Büyükşehir Belediyesi Kültür Yayını. p. 95. ISBN 975-18-0076-5.
4. As, Erdal (2013). Cumhuriyet Dönemi Ulaşım Politikaları (1923-1960) (in Turkish). Ankara: Atatürk Araştırma Merkezi. p. 149. ISBN 978-975-16-2635-6.
5. "İzmir Buca tren istasyonu ve tarihi demiryolu". wowturkey.com. 16 June 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2017.