Exports via rail have grown by 13 per cent in Türkiye. The semiannual statistics indicate that the country’s international trade is profiting from better infrastructure in the region.
According to the Turkish government, 1,2 million tonnes of goods were exported on the railways between January and July of 2024. This number amounts to a growth of 13 per cent compared to the same period of the previous year. Subsequently, the country highlights the “significant momentum” that rail has acquired.
Turkish transport minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu says that the country has improved its rail infrastructure, which in turn boosts its rail exports. “We have renewed conventional lines that had been untouched for almost 100 years. We have connected our organized industrial zones, factories and ports to our railway network”, Uraloğlu said.
BTK line boosts connectivity
Moreover, Turkey is taking up an increasingly important position as a transit country for Asia – Europe traffic. Minister Uraloğlu points to the Baku – Tbilisi – Kars line as an important factor in strengthening Turkish international rail transport. The line in the Caucasus was reopened after a renovation earlier in 2024, which expanded Türkiye’s connectivity along the Middle Corridor. Both east and west, the country’s influence in rail transportation is growing.
Among its own exports, 86 per cent of the volume comes from Istanbul and surrounding provinces. Most of these goods go to Europe, although the transport minister did not specify how many exactly. “At least eight freight trains operating daily between Türkiye and Europe ensure uninterrupted trade with Europe”, according to the minister. Leading export items include automotive parts, textile products, food, electronics, chemical products, cement and construction materials.