Turkey Launches First Intermodal Terminal Railport

Railport, regarded as a structural turning point for Turkey's logistics sector, has officially commenced operations as the country's first intermodal terminal. Located in Kartepe, approximately 130 kilometres east of Istanbul, the facility operates with freight trains, containers, trucks, and high-bay warehouse infrastructure. The terminal's inauguration represents strategic expansion not only for Turkey but also for Port of Duisburg (duisport), Europe's largest inland port.

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Railport was established as a joint venture between duisport and Turkey-based Arkas group. This partnership represents the largest foreign investment in the history of Duisburger Hafen AG. In the partnership model, Arkas contributes local market knowledge, operational experience, and its domestic network, while duisport integrates its intermodal network established across Europe and globally, terminal operations expertise, and international connectivity capabilities into the project.

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Strategic Location: The Logistics Heart of Marmara

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Railport's positioning in Kartepe establishes the facility with direct connections to the Marmara Region's industrial centers, ports, and road-rail networks. The region hosts Turkey's most concentrated industrial clusters in automotive, chemicals, machinery, and consumer goods manufacturing. Railport is designed as a critical junction point connecting these production centers to European, Central Asian, and Far Eastern trade routes.

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The terminal's proximity to the Marmaray Tunnel enables seamless cargo transit between Europe and Asia. This infrastructure allows trains to conduct intercontinental transport without requiring additional transshipment at the Straits crossing. This characteristic transforms Railport into not merely a terminal, but a transcontinental logistics bridge.

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Middle Corridor and BTK Connections

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One of Railport's most critical advantages is its integration with the BTK line (Baku–Tbilisi–Akhalkalaki) and Middle Corridor. Through these connections, the terminal provides direct access to rail freight services between:

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• Central Asia,

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• China,

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• Southeast Asia,

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• Europe

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Given the recent trends of nearshoring, friendshoring, and network diversification, Turkey's role across these corridors is increasingly strengthening. Railport stands out as one of the concrete projects representing the physical infrastructure of this transformation.

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Duisport CEO Markus Bangen, in remarks regarding Railport's opening, emphasized Turkey's strategic importance as follows:
"The Republic of Türkiye is a key hub for supply chains between Europe and Asia. Railport establishes a strategic bridgehead for international trade, strengthening global network stability."

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According to Bangen, the facility enhances supply chain resilience for both German industry and the Turkish market.

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Operational Capacity and Services

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Railport has been developed across an area of 265,000 m². The terminal is reported to have an annual capacity of 125,000 trailers. The facility provides:

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• on-site customs,

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• storage,

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• CFS (Container Freight Station) services

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This structure enables cargo to be processed in a rapid, cost-efficient, and integrated manner. Through its intermodal structure, customers can flexibly utilize rail + road combinations.

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Arkas Port and Terminal Services Chairman Özgür Kalelioğlu summarized the project's significance as follows:
"Railport pioneers intermodal operations along the East–West corridor, connecting Türkiye's industrial heart to global trade routes."
Kalelioğlu stated that Arkas's logistics heritage spanning over 100 years would be instrumental in the operational success of Railport.

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Broader Significance for Turkey

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Railport's inauguration aligns with Turkey's logistics strategy objectives of modal shift and increasing rail's market share. Rebalancing the transport structure's excessive dependence on road transport is viewed as critical both in terms of cost and carbon footprint. Intermodal terminals rank among the key components of this transformation.

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Furthermore, the project strengthens Turkey's role as a Europe–Asia transit nation not only geographically but also operationally and infrastructurally. Railport can serve as a reference model for similar intermodal investments in future periods.

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General Assessment

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Railport represents the beginning of a new phase in Turkey's logistics sector. The combination of duisport's global network and Arkas's local strength positions Turkey as a more competitive and resilient actor along the Middle Corridor. As the terminal reaches full capacity, Turkey's position in regional and global supply chains will be further solidified.

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Key Points:

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• Railport has commenced operations as Turkey's first intermodal terminal.

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• Location: Kartepe, approximately 130 km east of Istanbul.

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• Partners: duisport and Arkas; the largest foreign investment in duisport's history.

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• Area: 265,000 m²; capacity: 125,000 trailers/year.

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• Connections to Marmaray, BTK line, and Middle Corridor.

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• The terminal integrates rail, road, customs, storage, and CFS services.

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News Link: https://www.porttechnology.org/news/turkiye-launches-first-intermodal-terminal-railport/

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Author: SedatOnat.com

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