The Austrian operator Rail Cargo Group has launched three new connections and increased frequency on another line Turkey. This month, it launched a new connection between Germany and Turkey and two new ones between Slovakia and Turkey.

“Given its size and strategic location between Europe and Asia, Turkey plays an important role as an international logistics hub”, the ÖBB subsidiary notes. Its network now consists of more than 40 TransFER combinations to and from Istanbul.

Germany-Turkey

The new direct connection from Giengen in the east of Baden-Württemberg in Germany to Cerkezköy, which lies about 80 km west of Istanbul, connects economic centres in Western Europe with countries in Southern and Southeastern Europe.

From August 2022 the TransFER service will operate two round trips a week on the Giengen – Ulm – Passau – Vienna – Hegyeshalom – Curtici – Giurgiu – Ruse – Svilengrad – Kapikule – Cerkezköy route and vice versa, with antenna connections to other terminals in Western Europe and Turkey. The transit time is about seven days.

Slovakia-Turkey

The new connections from Slovakia both depart from Bratislava. A direct connection from Bratislava to Istanbul will take about five days initially, with one round trip per week.

Another new Bratislava–Köseköy connection links up the Asian part of Turkey with Europe through the Marmaray Tunnel. This service kicks in with two round trips per week and a transit time of just under six days for Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and western Hungary).

Fixed timetables

“High-frequency TransFER connections will link up economic centres across Western Europe with the Eurasian region, with the possibility of further connections between Anatolia and Central Asia/China”, the company states.

“The new linkages are based on direct connections with fixed timetables and are particularly well suited for ISO containers, but dangerous goods can also be transported. The two new connections replace transits from Sopron (Hungary) to Istanbul (Turkey).

Romania-Turkey round trips increase

RCG is also increasing its existing TransFER connections from Curtici in Romania to Istanbul in Turkey from two to three round trips per week, with immediate effect.