Here are headlines about disappointments in rail transport last year:

Rail freight via Iran

Companies organizing transport to Iran and Central Asia by rail faced many problems this year. Rail traffic first locked due to heavy traffic and limited capacity of Van Lake Ferry. And then completely stopped due to security reasons. Traffic normalized by late October.

Kavkaz ferry line

Turkey’s rail connection to Russia via Kavkaz Port had first affected from the closure of Samsun-Kalin railway for 2 years. Then the political crisis between Russia and Turkey began.

Restriction for wagon import

The wagon producers and wagon fleet owners from world, which focused on promising rail market after liberalization, had faced with restriction for importing wagons to Turkey for 4 years.

Registration and maintanance of wagons

Private wagon owners, which are already suffering from low profit margins in rail transport, have faced with new costs after liberalization due to new terms about registration and maintanance of wagons.

Domestic rail freight

Renewal works on Turkish rail network had affected rail logistics companies. Gaziantep-Nusaybin and Samsun-Kalin sections closed, restrictions on Zonguldak-Irmak and Derince-Bilecik sections continued.

Tanap transports

Companies had started carrying TANAP pipes with big expectations, but faced with unexpected difficulties and costs.

Derince Port

Expectations about better service and lower costs about terminal services for trains did not realize at Derince Port. Derince Port focused on vessels and the terminal costs for trains had caused a shift to other terminals.

Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway

Companies which organized upon opening of this railway have to postpone their plans at least for one year.

Nemrut Bay railway

Railway connection to one of the favorite port areas of Aegean Sea, Nemrut Bay, was expected to start this year, but stopped due to limitations of “conservation area”. Tender will now be done in early 2016.

Cover Photo: Johannes Heger ©