Pasifik Eurasia Grows in Logistics with New Partnerships, Investments, and Its 2-Million-Ton Target as the First International Railway Train Operator (DTI)
‘Pasifik Eurasia DTI will make a major contribution to Türkiye becoming a logistics bridge’
Stating that becoming Türkiye’s first private railway train operator engaged in international transport was a major step, Dur said: “The Law No. 6461 on the Liberalization of Turkish Railway Transport enacted in 2013 paved the way for the private sector to become railway train operators. In 2017, two companies received DTI licenses and began operating. As of October 18, 2024, Pasifik Eurasia DTI became Türkiye’s third railway train operator. However, our difference as a DTI is this: the DTIs before us were established to carry their own domestic freight, whereas we are the first DTI founded with the objective of providing international transport services to the entire sector. In this context, we have begun offering international transport services to the whole industry using our own locomotives and wagons. This service, enabled by the dynamism of the private sector, is a critical milestone for the development of railways in Türkiye. Pasifik Eurasia DTI trains operating on the Istanbul–Europe corridor will significantly contribute to Türkiye’s role as a logistics bridge and will considerably increase our business volume. Our short-term goal is to increase our transport capacity on the Europe line by 50%.”
Pasifik Eurasia Chairman F. Nusret Dur said that since entering the logistics sector in 2019, the company has achieved many firsts. Stating that they pioneered strategic and impactful transport operations such as China–Türkiye, Türkiye–China and Türkiye–Russia block trains, Dur said: “In line with the mission of increasing the share of railways in Türkiye’s international transport, we first focused on the Middle Corridor — a key component of the Belt and Road Initiative — and then extended our efforts to Europe, enabling uninterrupted transport from Central Asia and China to Türkiye and from Türkiye onward to Europe or vice versa. We have made significant investments and entered major partnerships for this purpose. Our terminal investments are currently ongoing. We continue to build new partnerships with the aim of increasing business volumes along the China–Türkiye–Europe axis and strengthening Türkiye’s strategic importance on this corridor. Through our collaborative work with Georgia and Azerbaijan on the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars (BTK) line, we have increased the capacity for cargo transported by rail from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, China and other Asian countries to Türkiye and onward to Europe. In Europe, we signed major cooperation agreements in Germany, Hungary and Slovakia. We also established an integrated logistics infrastructure in Europe that provides door-to-door delivery solutions.”
‘We placed the Middle Corridor at the center of our strategy’
Highlighting that improvements and capacity expansion works on the BTK line have begun yielding results, F. Nusret Dur continued: “Ultimately, this line is the most important part of the Middle Corridor extending from China to Europe through our country. Due to the Russia–Ukraine war along the northern routes and geopolitical tensions along maritime routes in the south, the Middle Corridor has become even more advantageous. Our investments are a result of these projections and developments. Following modernization, annual capacity has increased to 5 million tons, which shows that the current annual volume of 1 million tons will multiply in the coming period. As a company, we placed the Middle Corridor at the center of our strategy. The developments along this route have clearly shown us how accurate this decision was. According to World Bank studies, the business volume on this line is expected to increase threefold by 2030. From day one, our initiatives, partnerships and completed works on the BTK line have positioned us to witness a continuous increase in our business volume along this route.”
Major agreements signed in the last quarter
Pasifik Eurasia Board Member Erol Erkan provided information about their work on transport corridors between China and Türkiye to support Türkiye’s emergence as a logistics hub. Erkan said: “Following recent visits and meetings, we signed two framework cooperation agreements in China. The first was in Chongqing — one of China’s largest and most commercially significant cities — with Yuxionu Logistics, covering regular train services. The second was in Yiwu, the center of e-commerce where major global companies such as Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop operate. There, we signed a framework agreement with the Yiwu Cross-Border E-Commerce Association for transportation via the Middle Corridor.”
Emphasizing that both agreements position Türkiye as the central hub, Erkan continued: “Each Chinese province subsidizes logistics. To receive this support, the first requirement is to operate a block train of at least 41 containers. As it is not always possible to consolidate this volume at a single location for China–Europe or Europe–China transport, we proposed routes with Türkiye as the arrival and departure point. From Türkiye, distribution to Europe could be made individually, and the reverse route would also work with the same logic. This is a major step toward making Türkiye a HUB on this corridor. Initially, weekly services will begin with one train, increasing to three trains per week — opening a new chapter for the Middle Corridor.”
‘We work to leave a more livable world for future generations’
Dur stated that rail transport is far more environmentally friendly and sustainable compared to other modes and that Pasifik Eurasia has adopted a fast, safe and sustainable transport approach between Asia and Europe by placing rail at the center of its operations. Dur said: “Reducing our carbon footprint and expanding the use of rail transport as an environmentally friendly model is one of our top priorities. With this vision, we received the ‘Green Logistics Certificate’ in January 2024. Our aim is to minimize the environmental impact of our operations and leave a more livable world to future generations. Since receiving this certificate, we have used road transport only for short distances and focused on rail–sea combinations for long distances. We are also aware of the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which will come into effect in 2026. Accordingly, we inform our customers that choosing rail over road, together with door-to-door delivery options, will allow them to avoid additional costs that may emerge in the future. Since logistics in Türkiye is still largely carried out by road and sea, our company — with rail transport at its core — will make the greatest contribution to green logistics as Türkiye’s railway infrastructure increasingly transitions to electrified lines.”
‘Exports will rise to 95% of our revenue’
Emphasizing that Pasifik Eurasia has set ambitious targets due to its international partnerships, completed modernization on the BTK line, and the launch of DTI services, Nusret Dur said: “We stand before you as a company that has already made all its investments, taken significant steps in international partnerships, and continues important negotiations in this area. Currently, exports account for around 90% of our total revenue. With our growing business volume, we aim to increase this share to 95%. Our goal is to close 2024 with a revenue of 50 million USD. In 2025, supported by the effects of our investments and ongoing work, we aim to triple our revenue compared to 2024.”