New York's subway is turning 122 this year and still can't handle the heat of a summer surge without a halt. Half the system goes on strike, and it becomes impossible to get anywhere. Istanbul has one which is on an even older stretch of track and doesn't need a personality transplant to continue working. The two-minute underground funicular which ferries passengers from Karaköy to Beyoğlu has been running up the same brutal hill since 1875, and according to a technical history published by Istanbul Technical University's transportation faculty, it is the world's second-oldest underground urban railway, beaten only by London. The Tünel is 573 meters in length, shorter than most airport terminals and has done its one job for more than 150 years.
A tourist's pet peeve became permanent infrastructure
