The new Turkish intermodal terminal Railport, the first private one of its kind in Türkiye, has started operations. A METRANS-operated inaugural train departed on 21 November.
Railport should enable more frequent and safer freight transportation between Türkiye and Europe by virtue of its high-standard infrastructure, large handling capacity and advanced technological operation systems, according to the terminal itself. The terminal will operate with a capacity of 360,000 TEU containers, 1,5 million tonnes of general cargo, 122,000 CEU of finished vehicles and 125,000 units of trailers annually at the final investment phase.
“The first train departure from Railport is a tangible demonstration of the contribution our terminal will make to rail transportation in Türkiye”, commented the terminal’s director Fatih Yılmazkarasu. “This operation marks the beginning of our long term strategy aimed at enabling more effective use of intermodal transportation nationwide and offering competitive solutions to our customers.”
German involvement
Turkish terminal operator Arkas Holding cooperated with the German terminal operator duisport for the construction of Railport. Earlier, duisport told RailFreight.com that Türkiye’s strategic location as a bridge between east and west played a big, but not necessarily a decisive role in their decision to build Railport.
Duisport also cited the Turkish chemical industry and under-construction BYD automotive plant as important drivers. Moreover, it foresees the local electronics and consumer goods sectors growing substantially by the time Railport is completed.