As the rail freight transport development tendency becomes more and more accentuated, the Romanian rail freight transport operator CFR Marfă is considering the implication in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TMTM) project.
TMTM aims to ensure freight transport on Asia-Europe axis, so far the project including several rail companies (from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Ukraine), but also the ports of Aktau and Baku, Minsheng Logistics (China), Azerbaijani Caspian Shipping and Translogist.
Recently, Polish operator PKP LHS PKP Hutnicza Szerokotorowa Line (PKP LHS) has become a member of the Coordination Committee of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TMTM). Under these circumstances, CFR Marfă, as well as the Port of Constanţa, are interested to become part of this project, to develop their activity and to facilitate transport services in Romania and beyond. “The Romanian national rail freight operator, CFR Marfă and the Port of Constanța are interested to join the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, a link that will assure freight transport from Western China to Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania to Central Europe within 16 estimated days,” CFR Marfă’s Head of the International Affairs Department, Mihai Rosca said, during the Railway PRO Investment Summit.
Moreover, Bulgarian rail operator BDZ Cargo and Iranian Railways (RAI) announced their intention to become part of this project.
CFR Marfă’s representative said that the company intends to actively be involved in the international transport system, by attracting new transit volumes of cargo, especially on China-Europe route, as Romania is a gate to Europe. In this context, the key elements for Romania include Constanta Port – as the largest and most diversified facilities in the Black Sea, an extensive rail and road transport infrastructure, a direct entry to the European Union customs area, the existence of two European Corridors (IV and IX), and the competitive price in the context of an open rail freight market.
In order to increase the implication of international rail traffic, the Romanian Ministry of Transport is becoming aware of the importance of transit opportunities to and from Caucasus and Central Asia and the necessity to adopt actions and involvement in the region. Also, regarding CFR Marfă’s capacities, the operator owns a terminal in the Port of Constanta and 26 intermodal terminals in the national network. Part of them could be converted into dry ports. Moreover, the operator owns a varied rolling stock fleet, managing to meet the transport needs of different freight. CFR Marfă’s active car fleet is made of 13,500 cars of a total of 32,000 cars, while the locomotive fleet is 907 units, of which 385 active.
Freight transport along TMTM implies a total distance of 9,500 km, while the travel time is estimated at 16 days on the West China-Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania-Central Europe. By comparison, on maritime paths, on China-Western Europe axis, the travel time of freight is 45 days, this element being an advantage of railway transport. It is important to mention that the value of freight (import and export) shipped by rail between China and Europe was of USD 4.86 billion, according to China’s Customs General Administrations, and in 2015, 581 container trains transited Kazakhstan (on Europe-China route, through Russia), in the first 7 months of the year the number of trains reaching 554.
Apart from these aspects, it is important to mention the high investment level to attract an increasing freight volume. For example, China announced that USD 150 billion will be invested in Turkey-Europe axis, via Kazakhstan. Russia will invest USD 43 billion in the Trans-Siberian route competing directly with TMTM in the south of the Eurasian Corridor.
by Pamela Luica
Share on:
