Turkey’s new train operator TCDD Tasimacilik is draws attention with its fleet getting younger.

As having started as the first train operator of liberalized rail market, TCDD’s fleet characteristics has changed very fast.

The company did not register 3500 old and unused 3500 wagons in this new era, and added 639 brand new freight wagons in 2017. As of end of 2017, TCDD Tasimacilik’s half of the freight wagons are less than 10 years old. The average of freight fleet is about 15. This is almost half of the European state operators’ averages.

State operators have about 400k wagons, which is more than half of the all rolling stock in Europe (700 k). The renewal of these old fleets are postponed with a few exception, due to financial problems of state operators. Even in USA with world’s biggest railway companies, the average age of freight fleet is about 19.5

TCDD Tasimacilik, is also planning to continue extending and renewing its fleet in 2018. It has a budget of TL 524 mn (about € 90 mn). Company will buy or renew 1402 wagons this year.

In passenger side, only HST and EMU/DMU sets were added to fleet in last 10 years. The classic passenger coaches that are pulled by locos including sleepers and couchettes are all bigger than 10 years old.

In the new routes, TCDD Tasimacilik mostly prefered HST and EMU/DMU sets, more than half of which are less than 10 years old. All sets have an average age of 17.

Similar to Europe, the passenger side shifts to high speed trains and multiple units, and less and less passenger coaches run everyday. All these coaches are bigger than 10 years old, and have an average age of 29.

Cover Photo: Turkrail ©