Turkish logistics company Ekol extends block train services to Romania

After acquiring local logistics company Omega Ro in October last year, Ekol Logistics, a Turkish integrated logistics firm, has announced that it will extend its block train services between Worms and Trieste, with the addition of services from Worms to Curtici Terminal in Arad, Western Romania.

Omega Ro reported a turnover of EUR 2 million in 2010. After the takeover, Ekol Romania estimates that its local business will grow by 70 percent in volume by 2013. Ekol plans to invest EUR 10 million in Romania over the next five years.

Ekol ran its first block train to arrive at Arad after a trip of 36 hours from Worms on 13th October 2011. The distance saved per trip is 1,250 km on the Istanbul-Germany route, according to the company. With the integration of this new route with a single train per week currently, the number of Ekol’s block trains per week increases to 8.

Completing the route to Istanbul from Arad, via road transportation through Bulgaria, Ekol will also add UN Ro-Ro services running between Constanta and Pendik as an alternative in 2012. Ekol has announced that it will invest in its fleet as part of the project, and in the first phase it will acquire 50 trucks planning to increase the number of services between Worms and Arad to 3 with an extended fleet. This way the company plans to increase the total count of intermodal trips per week to 10 trains in both directions.

Stating their plans for investing a total of EUR 18 million in new trailers and trucks within the framework of intermodal project in year 2012,  Ahmet Musul, chairman of Ekol Logistics, said that “about 25 percent of the investment will be made with Romania in mind. While realizing our fleet investment in Romania, we will also improve our terminal there. Our investments in both Romania and in other parts of Europe will only gain pace, following the example of Ekol Romania, which commenced operations in November of 2011.”

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Musul also added that intermodal trips are extended to Ludwigshafen – Antwerp route between Germany and Belgium, and that currently test loads were carried on this route. Musul stated that Ekol Romania registered substantial growth particularly in textiles industry, contract-logistics, and partial transportation.

Simona Bazavan