The Rail Freight Corridor No:7 (RFC-7), passing through Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece, had started to operate this month.

The corridor is one of the international rail freight corridors designated by European Union.

RFC-7 is defined starting at Prague, then splitting either for Vienna or Bratislava, then following Budapest, splitting again either for Bucharest-Constanta or Sofia-Thessaloniki.

“Corridor trains” will be given priority and every operator guarantees the consistency and continuity of the infrastructure capacities available along the whole corridor.

November: European Railway Freight Corridor No:7

RFC-7 may also provide an alternative to corridor 11 passing through Serbia, which is being used by almost all trains between Turkey and Europe.

Romania, famous with its “high” rail rates, may strengthen its position with this new corridor. DB Schenker’s Bosphorus Shuttle was the only regular trafic passing through Romania between Europe and Turkey until now.

Extension of the corridor to Turkey is also within the future plans of management.

This corridor may also be a hard competitor to Turkey’s “railway hub” role if Constanta port can give an effective service for “railway + vessel“ solutions.