Türkiye Opens First Intermodal Railport, Creating New East–West Trade Link for Europe and Asia

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Türkiye’s first intermodal terminal has begun operations in Kartepe, east of Istanbul, creating a new logistics gateway that links the country’s industrial core with European and Asian trade corridors.

The facility, known as Railport, is a joint venture between duisport and Arkas, marking the largest foreign investment in Duisburger Hafen AG’s history. The site spans 265,000 square metres and is already handling freight trains, containers, trailers, trucks, and high-bay warehouse operations.

According to the partners, the terminal can process up to 125,000 trailers annually and offers on-site customs, storage, and container freight station services to accelerate inland flows. Its location roughly 130 kilometres east of Istanbul provides direct access to factories, ports, and multimodal networks across the Marmara region.

The launch expands rail-linked capacity on the East–West corridor at a moment when shippers and forwarders are reassessing routings amid Red Sea instability, rising insurance premiums, and continued interest in nearshoring. Railport’s connection to the BTK rail line and the Middle Corridor presents additional optionality for cargo moving between Europe, Central Asia, China, and Southeast Asia.

Markus Bangen, CEO of duisport, said Türkiye’s growing role in Eurasian logistics made the investment strategically important. “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 and supporting both German industry and the Turkish market,” he said.

Özgür Kalelioğlu, President of Arkas Port and Terminal Services, said the terminal extends Arkas’s heritage in multimodal services into a modern intermodal setting. “Railport, developed on a 265,000 square metres site, pioneers intermodal operations along the East–West corridor, offering both rail and road options and connecting Türkiye’s industrial heart to global trade routes,” he said.

The partners expect rail volumes to scale as more operators integrate Railport into roundtrip planning between Türkiye, Central Europe, and inland terminals managed by duisport. The site is designed for progressive capacity increases, supported by automated warehousing features and additional track infrastructure.

The opening comes as Türkiye positions itself as a central link in diversified supply chains. Proximity to the Marmaray Tunnel enables uninterrupted rail movement between Asia and Europe, reducing reliance on maritime chokepoints and supporting contingency planning for forwarders moving time-sensitive or high-value cargo.

For project and breakbulk operators, enhanced inland connectivity may ease pressure on congested Marmara ports by shifting some container and trailer flows inland. For carriers and shippers, the terminal offers a way to stabilise schedules and lower inland transport risk during periods of maritime disruption.

Analysts note that the Middle Corridor’s competitiveness against northern Eurasian rail routes will depend on transit times, border coordination, and capacity expansions in the Caspian region, but Railport’s entry creates an operational anchor on the western end of the corridor.

Railport’s performance over the next year will indicate how quickly demand shifts from road-dominant domestic movements to integrated intermodal routes linking Türkiye with Europe and Asia.