Körfez Ulaştırma Maintains Its Leadership in Safe and Modern Transportation Services for the Past 5 Years

Körfez Ulaştırma, the subsidiary of Tüpraş in railway transportation, is celebrating its fifth year in the industry. Running oil logistics between Tüpraş refineries, which operate 24/7, Körfez Ulaştırma is intensifying its contributions to modern and safe transportation.

Having transported refinery products and intermediates equivalent to 2.5 million metric tons in 2022 and a total of 7 million metric tons since its establishment, the company retains its position as the largest private sector investment by increasing its rolling stock fleet investments. Körfez Ulaştırma has ordered two new Stadler EURODUAL hybrid locomotives early this year to be delivered in the final quarter of 2024, and the company will possess 14 locomotives in total.

As the railway transportation company of Tüpraş, Körfez Ulaştırma launched into the business five years ago in late 2017 by carrying refinery products and intermediates two ways between Kırıkkale and Izmit Refineries. Responsible for oil logistics between different Tüpraş refineries, Körfez Ulaştırma provides uninterrupted transport, reaching a total of 7 million metric tons of fuel to date.

Strengthening logistics operations while contributing to safe transport, the company also boots flet investments day by day as the largest private sector investor in its field. Operating on a strong maintenance infrastructure, Körfez Ulaştırma has been running continuous commercial lines since early 2022 with the seven bi-fuel (diesel/electricity) locomotives purchased from Stadler Rail, the Swiss manufacturer of railway rolling stock. The company has recently ordered two new Stadler EURODUAL bi-fuel (hybrid) locomotives to add to its fleet, which will reach 14 locomotives upon receipt of the most recent orders in late 2024.

In 2022, 2.5 million metric tons of fuel and 250,000 metric tons of iron ore were transported

Körfez Ulaştırma General Manager Tufan Başarır Körfez Ulaştırma Genel Müdürü Tufan Başarır, states that Körfez Ulaştırma’s environmentally friendly, modern, and efficient locomotive and wagon fleet have been contributing significantly to sectoral growth over the last five years. “As the first private company to operate railway trains in Turkey, our company transported 2.5 million metric tons of fuel and intermediates and organized iron ore transportation in 2022. In addition to providing an economic advantage, these operations produced environmental and social benefits by reducing the number of trucks on roads.

Körfez Ulaştırma continuously expands its transport services to the top four fuel distributors in the market. Körfez Ulaştırma grows and thrives with a team of 121, including 81 engine drivers and 40 employees, as of the year-end 2022.”

“We are the largest fuel transporter in Turkey and are proud to bear that responsibility. Once we receive our recently ordered two new bi-fuel locomotives as part of our wagon investments, we will explore new railway transportation opportunities besides fuel to grow further in new segments. We will advance our contributions to our national railway transportation.”

We kept our country's fuel corridor open during the challenging period we are going through as a country.

Başarır, noted that they continued to operate the fuel corridor in the immediate aftermath of the earthquakes that deeply saddened our country to bring the much-needed source of energy to the stricken region and added, “Our Körfez Ulaştırma fuel train that operates between the Kırıkkale Refinery and Batman Refinery also carried essential items including water, beds, blankets, boots, and thermal clothes to the disaster-affected region. Supported by the voluntary contributions of our engine drivers, we delivered the relief materials we loaded in Kırıkkale to AFAD officials in Batman with the support of our teams on the site, and reached out to the most desperate areas.”

Tüpraş petroleum coke now transported on the Izmit-Kırıkkale line

Körfez Ulaştırma employed 519 tank cars, 75 of which are new, and 35 flat cars in its 2022 transportation operations. In addition to other products, Tüpraş petroleum coke joined the Izmit-Kırıkkale transportation line in 2022.

Locomotive maintenance is carried out under ECM certification

The most comprehensive car maintenance and repair workshop located in Kırıkkale Refinery holds the ECM (Entity in Charge of Maintenance) certification, which grants authorization to maintain railway cars across Europe and Turkey. The workshop carried out comprehensive renovation work on 249 wagons in 2022. Investments to undertake wheel attachment operations were entirely funded by domestic sources and a total of 250 sets of wheels were completed. The locomotive workshop investment for the maintenance of company-owned wagons was completed in mid-2021. The workshop located within the Kırıkkale Refinery then obtained the ECM certificate required for authorized wagon maintenance. Workshop and warehouse investments for the storage of materials were also completed. Körfez Ulaştırma teams provide service and periodic maintenance to locomotives at the workshop.

Environmentally friendly transportation in compliance with Tüpraş's goal to go carbon neutral by 2050.

Körfez Ulaştırma works continuously to trace and reduce greenhouse gas emissions stemming from its operations in compliance with the “2050 Carbon Neutral” target of its parent company Tüpraş. Accordingly, the company aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emission intensity (g CO2e/kWh) by 45 percent compared to the baseline value by 2030.

Rail transportation reduces the amount of emissions per kilometer stemming from the road transportation of 1 metric ton of freight down to a fourth by diesel locomotives and to an eighth by electric locomotives.

Since its establishment, Körfez Ulaştırma has replaced 400,000 tanker road trips with environmentally friendly railway trips while enhancing road traffic safety and preventing the emission of 93,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent compared to road transportation.

Körfez Ulaştırma Milestones:

2017	Körfez Ulaştırma becomes the first private company to operate railway trains in Turkey.
2019	5 new diesel locomotives received from TÜRASAŞ (former TÜLOMSAŞ).
2021	7 bi-fuel locomotives manufactured by the Swiss railway rolling stock manufacturer Stadler Rail join the fleet.
2021	Körfez Ulaştırma locomotive maintenance and wheel maintenance workshops launch operations.
2022	75 tank wagons received from the American company The Greenbrier Companies.

 

About Körfez Ulaştırma A.Ş.

Körfez Ulaştırma A.Ş., a wholly owned subsidiary of Tüpraş, is the first private company to operate railway trains in Turkey. It was established to transport Tüpraş products by railway and to contribute significantly to the railway freight transport sector in Turkey. The company commenced operations in December 2017 and so far carried 10 million metric tons of products as an operator and organizer. In 2022, the entire 2.5 million metric tons of transportation was undertaken by the fleet of Körfez Ulaştırma. Körfez Ulaştırma A.Ş. operates with 519 self-owned tank cars, 35 flat cars, and 12 locomotives, of which five are diesel and seven are bi-fuel (hybrid).