21.08.2003 FIAT AND HYUNDAI INVESTIGATING BUILDING TRAINS IN TURKEY
The
General Director of the TCDD (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryollar/Republic
of Turkey Goverment Railroads) Süleyman Karaman has stated that FIAT
and Hyundai are planning to build trains in Turkey saying: "The automotive
sector is interested in the idea. Trains are actually buses with iron wheels."
Süleyman Karaman also stated the project will be made at the railroads. Karaman announced that they had already put into place verbal agreements with several companies and that generally the automotive sector is very interested in producing trains. "There is nothing formal yet; but there are companies who have stated that they 'have to get in this business'. Mostly the automotive sector is interested in it".
Karaman stated that FIAT and Hyundai are interested in the scope of the subject and that there have been no moves made yet to include local investors or companies.
COLLABORATION WITH KOC
Karaman also stated that they are going to collabrate with Otosan which is a subsdiary of Koc Holding regarding logistics. Karaman made clear that Koc Holding is planning to use trains and is working on the project, commenting: "Otosan, brings parts from foreign countries and sends vehicles and parts to foreign countries. They can be sent from harbours with ships. They are planning to bring them with trains and are working on it."
Süleyman Karaman stated that the yearly rail need of the TCDD is about 50 tons. Because of that there has no budget being defined in 2003 for rail import Karaman said: "Therefor we have collabrated with Kardemir. In this scope rails will be produced in Turkey. We now have ordered 10 tons." Karaman stated also that they will pay 400.000U$D per produced ton of rail.
by Tolga Yilmaz