TCDD has published the railway transportation statistics of 2012.
The list includes forwarders, vagon owners and also the customers doing transportation with TCDD. There are several type of companies in list, forwarders for Europe, forwarders for domestic transportation, companies with own equipments etc. Let me first focus on transportation to/from Europe.
There are not many railway operators/forwarders having biz between Europe and Turkey, and 7 of them were in the top 100 list (# shows the position in complete list).
Inter Ferry Boats (IFB), running only container trains between Halkali and Europe (Sopron/Duisburg), has been keeping the top for a long time. IFB is generally working with forwarders rather than end-customers and some of the capacity is rented by other railway companies. The cooperation of IFB with Kühne+Nagel is on table nowadays. Transporting mostly heavy goods like chemicals and raw materials, IFB is on top with the biggest net tonnage.
Express Interfracht (EXIF), transporting both railway containers and conventional wagons at the same time has a different strategy in Turkey. Although service is also given to forwarders, EXIF has also a considerable customer portfolio in Turkey. EXIF is secondary in list, also with the biggest number of wagons to/from Europe.
Eksper Tren, the forwarder that completely focused on conventional wagons, is in third place. This includes imports and exports with block trains as well as the single wagon traffic in both directions. Eksper, introducing special wagons to Turkish market, has reached to biggest tonnage/wagon in European traffic.
Schenker Arkas, another forwarder managing mainly conventional traffic is in fourth place. Introducing new mixed train, Bosphorus Express, to Turkish market, Schenker Arkas will start to run as operator and will add container traffic to its portfolio as well.
Omsan, the only company with swapbodies, the only Turkish company working as operator to Europe on behalf of the joint venture company Omfesa, is in fifth place. Ford Otosan’s shift to Ekol’s solution causes excess capacity in 2013. However, although not declared offically, having indirect bounds with DB Schenker, Omsan may take part in Bosphorus Express project with its private wagons as well.
Europe Intermodal, the most stable container operator, is keeping its position and volume for years, and nothing seems to change in near future.
Balnak is in the sixth place in 2012 list. What may change this position in following years is the mergery with Borusan. Borusan has entered to Turkish railway market with its container train in 2012. Now Balnak may have the chance to use this synergy to increase its portion in European traffic.
In 2013 list, there’ll be some more companies added to this list as Borusan Logistics and Mars Logistics. But the essential change will be in the rankings. The ended and started projects, closure of Halkali, opening of Derince, starting of ferry will have dramatical effects in the volumes.
Cover Photo: Onur Uysal ©
Categories: Railway Companies
Rail Turkey En 